The Darkest Storm
by elephantpancakes
Summary: With the world at it's end, Darcy finds herself alone and struggling to survive. With the help of a new found group who soon becomes like her own family, she finds within it the truest relationships she could ever ask for, including one that she never expected to find. - I unfortunately do not own The Walking Dead or anything that is remotely close to it. Daryl/OC
1. Pilot

**Pilot**

Thunder roared as hard the rain pelted against the half shattered glass window. It woke her with a start, although she was never really asleep. It had been this way for a long time. She felt a slight nudge against her hip, and she looked down with her hand held tightly around her hand-made bow and arrow, only to see her dog Jasper looking straight back at her with the same exhausted glance.

She sighed, resting her head back and pushing her long wavy chestnut hair back with a shaky hand. Sweat fell from her face, making clean lines through the rough dirt patches of her once porcelain skin. The twenty-six year old closed her eyes with her hand resting on her forehead, wondering if the intense Georgia heat would ever stop, especially with the intensity of the storm.

Her mind wandered to the pistol in her holster laying two inches away from her, tempting herself the slightest to see if she would end the misery of being scared and alone for good. It didn't come to her though, she was stronger than that. An abandoned one-story house kept her and her German Shepherd safe for now, but soon they would have to be on the move again.

Jasper wasn't always there with Darcy. Darcy found the once SWAT dog scrounging in a dumpster one day, and with the very real idea of food easily in front of her, Darcy almost kill the animal, but she couldn't do it. The feeling of starvation never truly went away, but it was as if it was bearable now. Squirrels were the things they looked for when desiring a good meal these days, and Darcy had grown to be an excellent shot with both her bow and pistol.

A slight grunt from outside made Darcy get up with wide eyes and a fast paced heart beat. Her white tee-shirt hung slightly loose over her athletic body, and her newly found dark blue skinny jeans just fit her when she wore her brown belt. She made her way over to the broken window, looking to see if she could make anything out of the shadows. The rain had stopped pouring and then came to an easy fall. Darcy gazed the soaking trees, catching every movement that caught her eye. Soon, she saw them, the two walkers that carried the all too familiar scent of death.

Darcy hid from view, veering her eyes down at her scuffed up boots and taking a deep breath before repositioning herself and stretching her bow. With the release of her breath, and her solid hazel eyes fixed on the target, she let the arrow go flawlessly, straight into the eye of one of the walkers.

With a slight smile on her face, she reached back to grab another arrow for the second walker without hesitation, but she noticed another bow had already taken it down the same time as hers.

"Shit." She mumbled, crouching down and leaning against the wall with bow and arrow in place in her hands. Darcy knew there was a different kind of danger that resided with other people. Witnessing the destruction in her own old group, Darcy knew she made the right decision to leave, even if it meant being on her own. This other person was another danger Darcy had to get through, because even people themselves can't be trusted anymore.

Darcy heard the front door of the house creek open, and Jasper growled and took her place in front of Darcy. She looked down at her and clicked her tongue, telling her to move forward, and Darcy opened the once bedroom door slowly, inching her head out cautiously.

Seeing nothing, she stepped out of the bedroom and kept her back hugging the wall, her eyes fixed on the end of the hallway. Moving slowly outwards, she put one foot carefully in front of the other, not making a sound. Suddenly, she heard a soft thud coming from down the hall and she jumped in another doorway and out of sight with Jasper close.

The rain had stopped then, and the sound of her own heartbeat was loud in her ears. Darcy focused, closing her eyes and leaning back carefully against the wall inside the small room. Her eyes suddenly shot open, hearing the softest footsteps of the other person now getting too close to where she stood.

Darcy turned her head slightly, noticing the sun had begun to rise and she could make out the shadow that was just outside her door. With the rush of her instincts, she shot out from behind the door in seconds, hands raised with her bow aimed straight at the person invading her territory. As soon as Darcy did, she came to a crossbow aimed at her as well, the face of the person hidden behind their weapon as was hers.

"Drop it." The country accent shot. It was raspy, and Darcy could just make out the similar dirt patches and exhausted expression that matched her own. She noticed the hanging string of squirrels around his neck. His blue eyes burned into hers, Darcy did not drop his gaze nor her weapon.

"I said, drop it." The man shot again, taking a confident step closer to Darcy. Jasper growled from behind her, and Darcy saw the man's glance shift downwards to the dog. She took her chance quickly.

In one swift move, she stomped on the man's foot and shot her elbow towards his nose, causing him to stumble backwards quickly. Darcy had tried to run past him, but he grabbed her elbow and slammed her into the wall behind him. She struggled, trying to break his grasp on her but he instead pulled out a knife and held it to her neck.

"Where ya think your goin'?!" He yelled, making Jasper growl again. The man looked at the dog in disgust and commanded, "Call her off."

"Drop the knife." Darcy said forcefully, causing her throat to cut slightly under his force.

"Fuck you." He spat, getting closer to her face. Just then, Darcy brought up her knee to his stomach, making the man bend over and give her and Jasper just enough time to run past him and out the front door of the house. With the man close behind her, she felt a tug on her shirt and it made her fumble to the ground into the mud from the rain.

"Shit." The man whispered, and Darcy pushed herself up slightly with her hands, taking in her now deadly surroundings.

The storm had picked up again, with made the situation even worse. Walkers had somehow encircled the abandoned home, and Darcy instantly froze as she witnessed the glazed over eyes suddenly focus on both her, her dog, and the man behind her.

It all seemed to happen slowly. The rotating of the bodies towards the three of them, the first step taken before they were too close. Darcy turned her head at her bow lying next to her, her heart beat loudly ringing in her ears. Suddenly, she was brought back to reality when a walker fell with a thud in front of her with an arrow in it's nose.

Darcy rolled over to her bow and stood, firing as many arrows as she could as she stepped backwards with ease. One by one they fell, and she soon stood next to the man that she tried to flee from only moments ago, fighting side by side.

Then, something happened. Darcy didn't know where Jasper was, and the oncoming walkers further away turned and focused on the dog that was now barking at the herd. They had surrounded her.

"No no no no no!" She yelled, turning towards the walkers trapping her friend and pulling out her gun.

A hand tugged roughly on her arm, "Let's go!" The man yelled, pulling her into the opposite direction which was now safe. Darcy watched in horror as her only friend being attacked, and there was nothing she could do, there were too many. "C'mon!"

Darcy had dealt with death before, and the intensity of what it entailed. She had lost many people, including her friends and family. But somehow in the midst of everything, Jasper was the worst she had to witness after being her only company for so long a time.

Her heart broken but staying strong, Darcy and the stranger ran as fast as they could away from the walking dead, the man leading the way. Soon, they came to a clearing in the woods, and they stopped to catch their breath.

Darcy stood breathing heavily, her hands on her hips and her eyes fixed on the direction from where they just came from. The man watched her as he re-loaded his crossbow with another arrow.

"Sorry 'bout your dog." He said with a grunt, snapping the arrow in place.

Darcy glanced at him, seeing him fully for the first time. He stood up, putting the crossbow over his shoulder. His brown disheveled hair was something she was used to seeing by now, and the rough dirt patches on his arms and face told her that he had been through hell like her. His blue eyes met with hers, and he stood tall with his country posture. His clothes were ripped and muddy like hers, and Darcy admitted to herself that he was an attractive man.

"Sorry I hit you." Darcy mumbled.

He scoffed. "No you ain't."

Darcy touched her cut on her throat and gave a resentful laugh, "No, I'm not."

"You by yourself?" He asked.

Darcy nodded, still slightly dabbing at her cut, "For awhile now."

The man sighed heavily, rolling his eyes and walked over to her. He moved her hand and looked at the cut, "You can fix that up right quick back at camp."

"I'm not going with you." She stated flatly, not wanting to deal with the politics and drama that came with a group, especially experiencing contact with just this one man, she didn't even think about what his group might consist of.

He shrugged, not at all phased, "One less mouth ta feed." The man turned away, walking towards the woods again and yelled back, "Good luck."

Darcy put her hands on her hips again and closed her eyes. She knew she was in bad shape, and needed food and rest. _Maybe a few nights wouldn't be so bad?_ She thought.

Darcy sighed heavily, looking up at the woods where the man disappeared. She wasn't worried about finding him, knowing she could track well. Did she really want to risk getting attached to this group? No. She'd stay for a few nights, and leave.

Some company would do her good anyways.

Darcy hesitantly jogged after the man into the woods, catching up to him with ease. The morning sun was finally shining, and the waiting of the night was over.

"Changed your mind?" He said, not looking back at her and keeping his nonchalant pace.

"Just for a few days." Darcy responded, wrapping her bow around her shoulder.

"If Shane'll let you. No guarantees." He stopped, looking at the ground then following the rustle in the leaves that Darcy easily picked up on.

"What animal was it?" She asked, standing and watching him closely.

"Deer. Shot 'er down not too long ago." The man stood on a large rock and peered into the woods in front of them. "Who are you anyway?" He asked.

"Darcy Monroe." She said, standing in front of the rock below him. "You?"

"Daryl Dixon."


	2. A Piece

**A Piece**

The all too familiar strands of sweat fell from Darcy's forehead as the sun lifted up high in the afternoon sky, making the world re-live it's relentless heat. With the back of her hand she wiped the drops away from her eyes, continuing to follow Daryl only after meeting him earlier that morning.

It was strange to think that after the two of them first tried to attack each other, then fight together against the world's enemy, that they trusted each other already. It was a silent trust, given by a simple nod from both of them implementing the signs of a relaxing atmosphere between them both. They figured out they were similar in many ways, and it eased Darcy's nerves slightly. Nonetheless, Darcy was one that kept her guard at all times, and so was Daryl. It didn't matter if they trusted each other, they always kept their defenses up.

It had been hours since Daryl first picked up the trail by the deer he claimed to have shot down, and Darcy figured if anything it would have been picked up by someone or something by now. The two of them hadn't spoken, there was no need to as Daryl was too focused on the deer and Darcy took role as look out just in case. It was a silent communication they both easily picked up on.

The southern voice startled her suddenly, "Weird havin' someone followin' me around." He said with an annoyed tone, lifting his head up to spit as he continued on.

Darcy scoffed, "Don't get used to it."

"How'd ya end up by yourself anyway?" He asked, glancing below at his feet then forward again.

She could remember the day well. Her entire group had been sat around the glowing embers of the small fire, watching and listening for anything to sneak up on them with growing worry. No-one spoke, no-one even made the slightest sound. Only the quiet popping of the burning limbs of trees made any noise as they all sat in the empty darkness of the night. Until they came.

Darcy coughed slightly to clear her throat, "A group of biters came through, wiped only but a few of us out."

Daryl looked back at her with a quizzical expression and let out a laugh, "What'd ya get lost 'er somethin'?

Darcy stepped forward, locating the tracks of the deer and walking in front of Daryl, leading him forward this time. "No." She said simply, readjusting her hands on her weapon. "People started making the wrong decisions, so I left."

Daryl raised his eyebrows and looked down at the ground again, walking next to Darcy now. Darcy was secretly waiting in anticipation for a repeat of the dark and difficult times she had already suffered in the other groups hands, but as quickly as she let her mind wander in to these thoughts, she was brought out of them.

A scream shot both of their heads up in the direction in front of them, noticing a clearing not too far ahead. Daryl started to run towards it, crossbow held tightly at his side ready for anything, and Darcy followed without hesitation,

"Mom!" They heard a young boy shout. "Dad!"

Darcy looked up as they grew closer and closer toward the noise that she noticed to be a large group of people, and saw a few shadowy figures in the clearing beating a walker to the ground. Daryl slowed to a walk, noticing the group and knew they had the situation under control.

"Damn kids." He mumbled, pushing the branches out of his path to make his way over to the group. Daryl looked behind him slightly, seeing if Darcy was still there or if she decided to run off last minute.

Daryl appeared in front of the small group of men, all with wide eyes and adrenaline pumping through their veins ready for another attack. Darcy was behind him, and she emerged as well, and the group looked at her even more confused.

"Jesus." One of the man sighed, lowering his gun.

Daryl stopped when he saw his prized animal on the ground and the walker lying next to it. The biter had clearly had a feast, leaving the body of the animal mangled on the forest floor.

"Ah son of a bitch!" Daryl stomped his way over, standing over the deer. "That's ma deer!" Darcy looked down, seeing the two arrows sticking out of the body, some of the group ignored his rants and walked away un-phased by him, and the fact they had a potential new member.

"Look at it all gnawed on by this..," Daryl kicked the body of the walker, .."Filthy…" He kicked it again, "…disease-bearin'.." and again, "…motherless poxy bastard!"

Daryl stepped back, taking his stance in front of the few men left. Darcy crossed her arms after she swung her bow over her shoulder and rolled her eyes.

"Calm down son, that's not helping." An older man said.

Daryl approached him. "Whaddya know about it old man?" Getting in his face, the other two men beside the older one stepped in, raising their guns to back Daryl off. "Why don't you take that stupid had and go back to 'on golden pond'?" Daryl spat, turning away from him and back to the deer. "I've been tracking this deer for miles."

As Daryl began pulling his arrows of the of deceased animal, he sighed, "Gonna drag it back to camp, n' cook us up some venison."

Darcy realized the few that had stayed, looked annoyed and fed up with Daryl. She sighed, looking back behind her in the woods wondering if coming here was the right choice. As far as she knew her and Daryl got along, even if their first encounter didn't exactly scream 'best friends forever,' and also ignoring the fact they spent hours in silence tracking a deer. Darcy wondered if the group reacted this way to Daryl, maybe they'd react to her the same way. Although, Darcy wasn't half as loud and angry as he seemed to be, so maybe there was some hope for her.

A man with a red baseball cap and a shotgun casually hanging on his shoulders looked over to Darcy, giving her a slight nod and a forced smile, trying to somehow welcome her aside from the disturbing scene brought on by the distraught group member. She nodded back, but looked back at Daryl as he continued.

Daryl leaned over the deer with the three arrows clutched in his hands, "Whaddya think? Do ya think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?" He said, looking over at the man.

The man looked disgusted, "I would not risk that."

Daryl walked around and sighed, "That's a damn shame." Then he remembered, "I got some squirrel, about a dozen or so." He said, lifting the string off his shoulder. "That'll have to do."

Daryl looked back at Darcy and sighed, "You stayin'?" He asked, and the group looked at her.

"You're more than welcome to." The man who nodded at her said. "I'm Shane. This is Rick, Dale, Jim, and that's Andrea and Amy over there hiding." Shane pointed to the members of the group. "There are more of us back up that hill there."

"Darcy." She said, forcing a smile and pushing her hair back with an anxious hand and nodded. "We'll see. "

A snapping sound arose from the ground, and Daryl grunted annoyingly as they all noticed the decapitated head was lying on the ground trying to attack Daryl's feet.

Amy winced, "Oh God." Before shaking her head in disgust and walking away with Andrea quickly.

"Come on, people. What the hell?" Daryl frowned, taking his crossbow off his shoulder and pointing it at the head. With a perfect shot, his arrow went straight through the eye socket, quieting the sound for good. Stepping over and pulling out the arrow again, he said, "It's gotta be the brain. Don't y'all know nothin'?"

As Daryl started to walk away, Darcy didn't know how to act around these people. Then the question already asked to her that day came up again, "You by yourself or with another group?" Dale asked, tilting his fisherman's hat slightly to readjust it.

Darcy looked at him, crossing her arms and scratching her shoulder. "By myself."

"For how long?" They all looked at her in shock.

"Um.." Darcy shuffled her boots a bit, looking at the dead walker. She wasn't good with social situations, especially after god knows how long she's been by herself. "Two, maybe three weeks?" She squinted at the sun, highlighting her flawless features, she saw Daryl turn a bit and look back at her noticing this.

"That's impressive." Shane nodded, looking at Rick. "How'd you manage?"

"Stayed quiet and kept moving." She shrugged, placing her hands on her hips.

Rick stepped forward, "Well, we are happy to have you with us. It's your choice if you want to stay, but there are good people here who look after each other. I've only been here a night and I feel right at home." He nodded at her and looked back at Shane who nodded back.

"There's something we need to take care of with Daryl, it might get ugly so you might want to stand back." Rick said, walking away with Shane.

Dale watched them leave and he turned back with a grin on his face as Darcy walked with them, "What did you eat?" He asked her, as Darcy clearly had nothing on her but the clothes on her back and the weapons she carried.

Darcy stopped and looked at him hearing Daryl shout after his brother up ahead, "Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel!"

She smirked and answered back at Dale as she backed up to keep up with Rick and Shane, "Squirrel."

Darcy turned, walking towards a Jeep Wrangler and standing next to an Asian boy wearing another baseball cap and a friendly smile, "I'm Glenn. You're Darcy you said, right?" He said.

Darcy nodded, and smiled again, hearing Daryl calling out to his brother one last time before Shane stepped in, "Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you."

Daryl turned, looking around him as everyone was focusing on Daryl from a distance. "About what?" He said hesitantly.

Shane walked to stand in front of Daryl, "About Merle. There was a-there was a problem in Atlanta." Putting his hands on his hips, Shane stopped pacing and looked at Daryl.

Daryl took a step back and looked at everyone else again, "He dead?"

Shane shook his head, "We're not sure."

Daryl shot back at him, "He either is or he ain't!"

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." The group turned to Rick, walking up next to Shane wearing an over-sized white tee-shirt.

Daryl looked at him, not recognizing him, "Who are you?"

"Rick Grimes."

"_Rick Grimes_," Daryl mocked, "You got something you wanna tell me?"

"Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there."

Darcy stood up from leaning on the jeep, just as a young black man came from behind the group carrying fire wood. He seemed hesitant to join. Glenn pulled her arm, shaking his head, "I wouldn't get involved."

Daryl turned, water just reaching his eyes. "Hold on," he mumbled, wiping his face. "Let me process this." Daryl's voice rose, "You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof, and you left him there!?"

"Yeah." Rick simply stated.

Darcy saw the rage in Daryl's eyes as the rest of the group did. He grunted, throwing the string of squirrels at Rick with a protest coming from Shane. Daryl lunged at Rick, but never stood a chance when Shane tackled him to the ground. Pulling out a knife, Daryl swiped at Rick once more, but Shane dragged him back with a choke hold.

"Okay. Okay." Shane said calmly, bringing Daryl to the ground once more.

"Best let me go!" Daryl yelled.

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't." Shane said sarcastically.

"Choke hold is illegal!"

"You can file a complaint."

Shane had no problem holding Daryl back as Rick knelt down, "I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic. Do you think we can manage that?"  
Daryl glared as Rick repeated himself, before nodding to Shane that it was okay to let him go. "What I did was not on a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others."

"It's not Rick's fault. I had the key. I dropped it." The young black man called out, looking defeated. Everyone turned to him, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"You couldn't pick it up?" Daryl questioned.

"Well, I dropped it in a drain."

Exhaling slowly and grimly eyeing up the current situation, it was the time Darcy truly missed the simplicity of having a dog as a companion. She had known from the moment that her and Daryl escaped from the walkers that there was bound to be trouble emitting from the rest of the group. She wondered for a moment if she would rather take her chances at a walker lunging wildly at her instead of the drama that cease to end after only a half hour of meeting these people.

Daryl bent over on all fours, showing the scruffs of dirt on the back of his shirt. In a moment after, he was up wiping his face again, "If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't."

The man spoke again, "Well, maybe this will. Look, I chained the door to the roof so the Geeks couldn't get at him – with a padlock."

Rick spoke up, "It's gotta count for something."

Daryl's face went red, tears hanging on his eyelids. "Hell with all ya'll." He waved at them. "Just tell me where he is, so's I can go get him."

Darcy uncrossed her arms and took her bow off her shoulder, and Glenn watched as she walked away looking at the ground. Darcy had decided this wasn't worth a few scrambling's of food which most likely smelled and tasted like old socks anyways.

The thought of keeping some company with these people gave her a headache to start, knowing keeping up with this emotional train-wreck of a group would be exhausting. So, she headed off behind the cars with only Glenn noticing, and headed down the path with ease, ready to start over again.

Walking a few miles down, Darcy thought for a moment and pursed her lips with a frown, not knowing which direction was best to take. She knew Atlanta was the dumbest decision any person would make, especially if the group back there was planning on doing a rescue mission for what she had gotten the impression as an unstable, heartless man.

Darcy took a moment actually to seriously think about her plan, where was she to go? Before she ran into Daryl, her plan was just to keep moving. There was never any destination she planned on running to.

An engine roared behind her on the dirt road, and Darcy stopped and closed her eyes, grunting to herself and leaning on one leg. She held her bow tightly in her left hand, watching the box van just drive past her while the back door opened still in motion.

Darcy looked up as Daryl emerged from the back of the van, rolling up the large door and standing with a hand above him to hold it in place. Putting the van in park, Glenn got out of the van and ran over to her.

"You're leaving?" He asked, wondering what she was thinking.

"I can't stay here." She responded, glancing at Daryl.

"Why not?" Rick got out of the van by this time, crossing his arms at the tall slim woman.

Darcy sighed, "I'm better by myself. I can't stay and be responsible for people I don't even know." She admitted.

"Look," Rick stepped towards her, "Being out here by yourself isn't the answer. There isn't anything out in this world anymore that any of us can hang onto but each other. This is the reason we are surviving, because we have something to hold on to." Rick sighed, realizing he wasn't going to get an answer out of her. "Listen, Daryl says you're a decent shot with that bow. Help us get our guy back, and we'll give you some supplies if you chose to leave. Weapons, ammo, food, whatever."

"You want my help?" Darcy asked.

"We need all the help we can get." Rick nodded.

Darcy hesitated, glancing up at Daryl. He gave her a slight nod, showing her he was desperate to find his brother. She looked back at Rick and gestured, "Okay."

Rick smiled, "Okay. Let's go."

Darcy watched as a happy Glenn and a satisfied Rick walked back to the van doors and climbed inside. Darcy looked up at Daryl, and he bobbed his head telling her to ride in the back. She took a step up, holding onto the side of the van when an hand outstretched to hers. Darcy looked up, hesitantly taking the kind gesture from Daryl as his blue eyes gazed into hers.

"Ready?" Glenn yelled back, Darcy quickly moved inside and let go of Daryl's hand as he shut the van door.

"T-Dog." Darcy recognized the young black man from before, and acknowledged him as she sat down behind Rick's seat. Daryl sat next to her, examining his bow. They drove onwards, and Darcy leaned back and closed her eyes against the shaking wall of the van.

"He better be okay. It's my only word on the matter." Daryl burned his eyes into T-Dog's threatening him knowingly.

"I told you the geeks can't get at him." T-Dog said, not worried. "The only thing that's gonna get through that door is us."

For what seemed only a few minutes, the five of them found themselves stopped on the railway tracks just outside the city. Climbing out, Darcy took in the tall towers and her heart caught in her throat to think a man was trapped somewhere inside with death surrounding him.

"C'mon!" Daryl yelled, leading the group at a jog but stopped near a fence. Glenn cut the wires open, and the group climbed through one at a time before quickening to a jog once more.

"Merle first, or guns?" Rick asked.

"Merle!" Daryl yelled, crossbow loaded. "We ain't even having this conversation."

Rick put his hands on his hips loosely and emphatically said, "We are."

Darcy chipped in, "Would it be easier to split up? Meet back here?"

Rick shook his head, "There's too many walkers, breaking us up would make us weaker." He looked at Glenn, "You know the geography it's your call."

"Merle's closest. The guns would mean doubling back." Glenn shrugged. "Merle first."

-

An abandoned department store is where the small group of five brave fighters found themselves walking cautiously through. Darcy had her bow raised, as did the others with their own weapons.

There was a noise from the far end of the room, a faint tinkle of glass from the shattered doors that lead them outside. Rick motioned for Daryl, but Darcy stepped forward with him, noticing there were two walkers.

Darcy quickly hit the one coming from the left in the middle of the forehead before it fell to the ground with a grunt. She turned, bow raised again at the other, but Daryl stood directly in front of it.

"Damn. You are one ugly skank." Daryl said, before releasing his arrow into the cheek of the lost woman. With the only walkers in sight out of the way, Daryl reached over and grabbed his arrow from his kill, then let Rick lead the group to the stairwell.

Climbing in a hurry to see his brother, T-Dog had the tools ready to cut the chain before kicking the door open. With the roof in sight, they all climbed outward, and Darcy looked for any signs for the man named Merle.

"Shit." She whispered. They all stopped as Daryl called out for his brother.

He wasn't there, but a piece of him was.


	3. Ayudamé

**Ayudamé**

The stiff hand lying on the concrete floor of the roof held the stare of the group. Beside it, a splatter, and the dangling blood-dripping handcuffs rightfully belonging to Rick. They tightly held onto the metal pipe leading into the building, just as they were left.

Daryl yelled in protest, his cries echoing the rooftops throughout the city of Atlanta, not believing the sight he saw. T-Dog watched him, his heartbeat increasing with the death glare that Daryl shot towards him immediately noticing his brother was gone.

Darcy's grip on her bow loosened as her heart broke for this man and the pain he was feeling. The wind loosely blew her long brown locks as she glanced over at Rick, his face gone pale while he stared at the unmoving hand.

Darcy didn't want to, but she did. She thought about Daryl's brother sitting hopelessly waiting for rescue, if it ever came, while being threatened by a dozen dead reaching out for him from the stairwell. Unbeknownst to him, it was locked and secure. If only he had sit tight for a little while longer.

T-Dog walked around to the spot where Merle once sat, and the three others followed him slowly. Daryl heard the soft tiptoes of their shoes as he huffed with sorrow mixed with anger, lifting his crossbow towards the face of the one responsible. T-Dog kept a straight face as the black bow was five inches away from him.

Rick cocked his silver pistol, aiming it at Daryl's temple and not budging from his position. Darcy stared, keeping her bow at her side, knowing it wouldn't do any good. All she heard was the deep breaths Daryl took as Rick narrowed his eyes at the man.

"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every walker in the city hears it." Rick said, slightly gritting his teeth.

Daryl lowered his weapon in defeat, and Rick un-cocked his gun, placing it back in it's holder. Daryl blinked, still looking at T-Dog, his voice raspy and distraught said, "You got a do-rag or som'in'?"

T-Dog pulled from his pocket a blue fabric, and Daryl took it without hesitation. Walking up to the only remainder of a memory Daryl had of his brother, he placed the handkerchief on the ground beside it.

"I guess the saw blade was too dull for the handcuffs." Daryl sighed. "Ain't that a bitch." Darcy watched as Daryl took his brother's hand and wrapped it inside.

Standing up, he glanced at T-Dog but didn't see what he was looking for. Instead, he turned to Glen, motioning for him to turn around so he could place Merle's hand inside for safe keeping.

Darcy couldn't help but smirk at the face Glen made as Daryl rifled the hand into his pack.

"He must of used a tourniquet – maybe his belt." Daryl inspected, and Darcy stepped down to be level with the others. "There'd be more blood if he didn't."

Daryl pointed, walking with determination along the small trail of blood, only droplets, and Rick motioned for the group to follow. Darcy spotted the trail too, and walked behind Daryl as he moved to the doorway across from them, aiming.

They came to a stair way and Daryl called out, "Merle! You in here?" Darcy followed Daryl, as did the rest of the group, bow up and ready for anything unexpected.

They made their way down the hall, Daryl still following a few drops of blood here and there to be certain they were going the right way. A desk appeared, and as the group approached it, they found two walkers lying on the ground dead for the second time.

Daryl raised his bow to his shoulder and looked down at them, "Had enough in him to take out these two sumbitches. One-handed." He bent over, grunting as he loaded the crossbow. "Toughest sumbitch I ever met, my brother. Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails."

Darcy ignored his comments, lifting her bow once more and walked away from the group, heading forward into the next room.

Rick stepped in, raising his weapon slightly at the two dead bodies, "Any man could pass out from blood loss, not matter how tough he is."

Her hazel eyes found a larger group of blood that lead into a kitchen, she dropped her weapon and turned back to wait the group. "Here." She called, motioning for Daryl to move past her, making eye-contact and nodding as he did.

"Merle!" He called around the corner, getting a glare and a harsh whisper from Rick.

"We're not alone in here. Remember?"

"Screw that." Daryl snapped back. "He could be bleeding out you said so yourself."

Darcy sighed, "He's not." She pointed towards the stove, letting the men take a look at what she was motioning towards.

The flames still shook as Merle had left the gas on, and next to it was the belt that Daryl said he might have used. Rick picked up an item, flat and heavy with a handle off the end.

"What's that burned stuff?" Glen asked.

"Skin." Rick whispered. "He cauterized the stump."

"Smart." Darcy stared, getting a slight glance from Glen.

Daryl stood next to Rick and looked at him when he said, "Told you he was tough." He shook his head, "Nobody can kill Merle but Merle."

"Don't take that on faith. He's lost a lot of blood." Rick said, staring at the floor back at the trial they had followed.  
Daryl watched Darcy as she walked away from them towards the left of the room. He saw what she did.

"Yeah?" He snickered. "Didn't stop him from busting out of this death trap."

Darcy peered out of the shattered window and down at the deserted streets below them. On the edge of the ledge was a pile of glass, and a blood stained ripped t-shirt. The fire-escape made her smirk as she knew Merle had easily gotten away. She moved aside when Daryl stood next to her, wanting to see too.

"He left the building? Why the hell would he do that?" Glen asked.

"Why wouldn't he?" Daryl asked in return. "He's out there alone as far as he knows. Doing what he's got to do. Survivin'."

"You call that surviving?" T-Dog spoke. "Just wandering out in the streets, maybe passing out? What are his odds out there?"

"No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks." Daryl turned on him.

"You're tied to a rooftop surrounded by death trying to reach you. You wouldn't do the same?" They all looked at Darcy who glanced at the window again, ignoring their stares. "I'd take my chances on the street than sit and wonder whether or not I'll make it through the night."

Daryl turned to face Rick, "You couldn't kill him." Rick turned away, "Ain't so worried about a dumb dead bastard."

"What about 1,000 dumb dead bastards?" Rick replied. "Different story?"

"Why don't you take a tally? Do what you want. I'm gonna go get him." Daryl said in a matter-of-fact tone, grazing Rick's shoulder with his own as he tried to pass him to get to the window.

Rick put a hand on his chest, pushing Daryl back in front of him. "Daryl wait."

"Get your hands off me!" Daryl yelled in protest. "You can't stop me!"

Darcy sat on the inside ledge of the window, bow over her shoulder, and her palms resting on the cold concrete on either side of her.

"I don't blame you." Rick responded, "He's family, I get that. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel." Daryl glared at him and gritted his teeth as he waited for Rick to continue. "He can't get far with that injury. We could help you check a few blocks around but only if we keep a level head."

"I could do that." Daryl said calmly.

Rick glanced at T-Dog who shook his head at the ridiculous idea, "Only if we get those guns first. I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?" T-Dog brought up his hands to make a point and looked at Daryl.

Rick loosely put his hands on his belt, sighing and nodding at the ground. "Alright," He said firmly, looking between them all to see if the four of them were up to the dangerous task. Everyone of them seemed secure, but slightly unwilling risking their lives for a man who wouldn't do the same for them.

"We need a plan." Glen said, tilting his baseball cap up slightly, exposing the line of dirt formed on his forehead. "There should be more offices around here. I'll draw up a blueprint of the buildings and we'll go from there."

Glen walked past Daryl, slightly patting his shoulder as he did. Following him next was hesitant T-Dog, then Rick. Darcy still sat on the ledge as she watched Daryl in silent.

He looked up at her, holding his crossbow with one hand hanging limply at his side. "You comin'?" He asked expectantly.

"Sorry about your brother. Hope we find him." Darcy responded.

Daryl scoffed, "What's it to you? You ain't here but to get what you need and leave."

Darcy stood up and walked over to him, standing inches away from his frustrated glance. He was taller, that was for certain, maybe by five or six inches. She took in his features, his angry and worried features. There were circles starting to form under his eyes, wrinkles where he kept his scrunched brow. There was even an exhausted and desperate angst behind his strong jaw line.

Darcy held his gaze, un-phased by the shot he took at her. "And what's it to you why I'm here? Or why any of us are here?" She questioned. "I chose to help just like the three of them."

She noticed a slight tenseness in his jaw, and his eyes just narrowed a bit more. Darcy pushed past him and heard Daryl huff as he kept his feet. "Be grateful we're out risking our lives when we had the choice not to."

Darcy walked down the hall, feet in front of Daryl. Opened offices outlined the way, all broken into and papers scattered. Daryl didn't notice, he watched the woman walk with ease, weapon across her back with numerous amounts of arrows hanging there also. Her pistol hit her side with each step, the shallow sound of only but a few rounds left. He was intrigued, tilting his head slightly as he walked behind her, still narrowing his eyes at her back to keep a steady head.

Daryl watched as Darcy stopped in front of an office door way and poked her head inside before disappearing into it completely. He reached it, stepping inside and seeing Glen drawing on the floor while T-Dog and Rick watched.

Darcy propped her self on a near-by desk overlooking the drawing, and Daryl slipped inside to lean against the corner wall as Glen explained thoroughly what the plan was.

"You're not doing this alone." Rick said, looking down at the boy.

Daryl bent over and put his hands on his knees. "Even I think it's a bad idea. And I don't even like you much."

Glen looked fed up and shot his head up from his sketch on the floor, "It's a good idea, okay, if you just hear me out." Rick knelt to the floor with a sigh as Glen continued. "If we go out there in a group, we're slow, drawing attention. Darcy had the right idea from the start. If I'm alone, I can move fast." He looked at Rick with pleading eyes.

"Look," Glen brought their attention back to the floor, moving a black paper clamp to the middle of what was meant to be an intersection. "That's the tank, five blocks from where we are now," He moved a crumpled up piece of paper next to it, "That's the bag of guns." Glen looked up at Rick as he pointed, "Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met. That's where Daryl, Darcy and I will go."

"Why us?" Daryl asked.

"Your bows are quieter than Rick's gun, and you're both quick." Glen responded, moving back to the plan. "While the two of them wait here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag."

"You got us elsewhere?" Rick asked .

"You and T-Dog, right." Glen nodded, moving a pink eraser. "You'll be in this alley here."

"Two blocks away? Why?" Rick asked.

"I may not be able to come back the same way. Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won't go back to Daryl and Darcy, I'll go forward instead. All the way around to that alley where you guys are. Whichever direction I go, I've got you in both places to cover me, and that way there's two of you in each area just in case you're seen. You'll have back up too." Glen saw Rick nod, "Afterwards, we'll all meet back here."

"Hey, kid, what'd you do before all this?" Daryl asked, leaving Darcy intrigued at the boy as well.

"Delivered pizza's. Why?"

Rick shook his head, looking back at Daryl who had a confused expression on his face. Darcy smirked, and got up from where she sat, inspecting one of her arrows. "Alright. Let's go."

"I'll lead." Glen jumped up, leading Darcy and Daryl out of the room.

The three came to a fire escape, and each one climbed down hastily with Glen in front, Darcy last. When Daryl hopped down from the ladder, he stood at the foot waiting for Darcy's last few steps. She jumped the last one, landing her boots on the concrete below her in the dark alley. Daryl had caught her slightly, holding her forearm when he did.

Darcy glanced up at him when he did not let go. Daryl gave her a nod, informing her he was in fact, grateful she was there with them to find his brother. She returned the gesture, before they both turned together to follow Glen at the entrance of the alley.

They crouched behind a dumpster, Glen removing his loose plaid shirt as an advantage. Daryl bent over, easily dragging back the string of the crossbow in place before raising it again.

"You got some balls for a chinaman." Daryl said.

Glen rolled his eyes, "I'm Korean."

Daryl shrugged, "Whatever."

Darcy stood on the opposite wall of Daryl, bow up and ready as she carefully watched Glen duck towards the fence. As the two hunters crouched in the humid Georgia heat behind the large decaying dumpsters, they each steadied their weapons in their hands. Glen, who was completely and blissfully unaware of their cautious hands, took off down the walker-infested streets of Atlanta.

Drawing a steadying breath and absently swiping at a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead, Daryl fingered the trigger of his weapon while stealing a little glance at the women next to him. Darcy felt a warm blush rise to her cheeks, noticing him out of the corner of her eye, and she smirked.

A pebble was suddenly kicked behind the two, startling them both and causing them to stare at each other with a wide-eyed look. Daryl raised his crossbow up by his shoulder, shifting his weight on his feet. Darcy held his gaze and gave the man a slight nod when he slowly brought a finger up to his mouth, telling her to stay low and quiet.

Daryl noticed the worried emotions hiding beneath her golden brown eyes as he slowly turned the corner, not knowing what was around it. It was then Darcy's heart took a leap up into her throat as she watched Daryl stand up and face the intruder.

A young boy shouted, "What, don't shoot me! What do you want?" He raised his hands defensively, causing Darcy to lower her bow and stand facing the two.

Daryl, however, did not drop his and approached the boy further. "I'm look for my brother, he's hurt real bad. You seen him?"

The boy panicked, "Ayudame!" _Help._

Darcy eyes shot open wide and couldn't help but raise her defenses at the now threat of danger. "Shut up! You planning on attracting every one of them over here?"

"You're gonna bring the geeks down on us! Answer me!" Daryl responded.

The boy continued to panic however, yelling at the top of his lungs to whatever companions Darcy knew were to be hanging around, "Ayudame! Ayudame!"

"Shut him up!" Darcy hissed, glancing over her shoulder towards the fence, listening for the hungry growls they all feared.

Daryl threw his arms forward with crossbow in hand, making contact with the boy's cheek, throwing him to the ground. He stayed screaming while lying on his back, and Daryl bent down to cover his mouth and stifle the scream.

The boy startle wriggling away, and Darcy heard the frantic footsteps approaching fast.

"Shit!" She turned, aiming at the entrance of the fence with her eye in line with her arrow. Her heartbeat rose at the sight of three, very much alive, men came into view. Darcy hesitated, and instantly wished she hadn't.

One of the men threw a backhand at her, causing her to falter to the ground before being pulled by her t-shirt's collar and slammed forward into the brick wall.

Darcy was pinned with her arms held tightly behind her back, hopelessly staring at the other two men attacking Daryl with a swift kick to the ribs. Daryl was knocked on his back, and one of them raised his bat and brought it down on him repeatedly as the other continued to kick.

Darcy wriggled, trying to pry from the man's grasp. With no such luck, the man reached and grabbed a fistful of her brown locks, pushing the side of her face further into the wall, bruising her cheekbone as he did.

She saw the man with the bat look up, past her, and pointed. "That's it! That's the bag, Vato! Take it! Take it!"

_Glen._ She thought.

The two men stopped attacking Daryl, and Darcy felt the weight of the man holding her shift slightly to face Glen holding the massive bag of guns. Just as she first met Daryl, she took this chance.  
Throwing her head back, she came into contact with the man's nose which made him falter and loosen his grasp on her arm. Darcy was able to turn to face him, twisting his arm as she did. Her triumph didn't last much longer, as just as she was about to bring up a leg and kick him away from her, he caught it and threw her face-down to the ground.

Daryl tried propping himself up, "Darcy! Glen run!"

The three men were faster, catching up to Glen just as he started moving his feet. Glen was grabbed by his shirt and pulled back, receiving a blunt punch to his jaw and knocking him down. Two held him down as one reached for the bags.

Daryl had somehow managed to grab his crossbow and crawl over to Darcy, grasping her wrist as she tried to get up and aid to Glen. Daryl pulled her down though, firing his crossbow into of one of the men's asses.

Darcy shot up, absent-mindedly leaving her bow and running to push the man who had Glen pinned down.

As the man screamed and grabbed the arrow protruding from him, the faint sounds of a car approached the chaos. At the same time, the attention was turned to Daryl, who was on one knee ready to aim again. One man grabbed Glen, the other grabbed Darcy.

"Get off of me! Get off of me!" Glen yelled.

The car was suddenly outside the fence, and the three men rushed towards it, still facing Daryl with their hostages towards him. Daryl noticed one thing: they had dropped the bag.

"Daryl!" Darcy screamed as she was thrown into the back seat with Glen, smashing her cheek against the door handle and knocking her unconscious.


	4. The Feeling of Comfort

**The Feeling of Comfort**

The unending chaos had then drawn the glazed-eyed attention of dozens of walkers outside. Daryl ran, his hands latching onto the hot rusted fence in front of him.

"Come back here!" He yelled, overwhelmed and confused. "You sumbitches!"

The Mexican intruders ignored his cries, and sped off down the road in the automobile taking his two friends with them to God knows where. Daryl tried to let his eyes follow them to the best of his ability but the hungry growls of the limping dead lunged at him. His eyes snapped back, tugging on the fence with one hand and hanging onto his crossbow with the other locking the fence from any geeks reaching him.

The fast paced footsteps approached him from behind, and soon Rick and T-Dog made themselves known as they headed towards the cries. They both stopped, confused.

Daryl turned around, facing the young boy that had caused all of this unnecessary trouble. He growled inward and charged.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Stop it!" Rick yelled, stepping in between Daryl and his prey, separating them by a few feet as he pushed Daryl back.

Daryl continued anyways, "I'm gonna kick your nuts up in your throat! They took Darcy! And Glen! That little bastard and his little bastard homie friends!"

Rick was still holding Daryl back, but turned to the boy with pure anger in his eyes. This mission to save one man had turned into something even bigger.

Daryl pointed, "I'm gonna stomp your ass!"

"Guys! We're cut off!" T-Dog yelled, the only one focused on their survival at that point.

They all turned towards the fence that was their gateway to a secure passage, noticing the continuous growing rate of biters reaching for them through the holes.

"Get to the lab! GO!" Rick pointed back down the alley way, picking up the discarded bag of guns and finally lead the four of them out and to safety.

-

Darcy found herself locked and alone in a room of an abandoned warehouse. Filled with a dizziness and growing a slightly dull headache, she flickered her eyes open only to notice the small strands of light creeping their way through the loose stitches of the brown coffee bag she wore over her head.

_Should've said no._ She thought, reminding herself she had a habit of bad luck in these situations.

Sitting tilted on a worn out wooden chair, she shifted her wrists slightly, taking in the fact they were tied within a rope on her lap. She had been out for hours and the skin underneath started to go raw because of how tightly she was bound.

Faint voices brought her out of her thoughts, snapping her body upright and un-moving as she allowed only shallow breaths emerge from her nose. Darcy had a slight fear of suffocation, and the tape over her mouth was not helping.

The doors in front of her shot open, ricocheting off the walls as they walked over to her. Two men roughly grabbed her by the shoulders and arms, pulling her up to her feet as she protested.

Darcy stumbled as she started to oblige to where they where taking her. Fighting wasn't going to solve her current predicament, it was too risky and too dangerous when she was alone.

She heard two metal doors open slowly with a painful creak, and the sent of fresh air and a cool late afternoon breeze reached her body as she was being dragged along the hard pebble path.

_Don't feed me to them._ She prayed.

Darcy was then roughly thrown on the ground to her knees, silence surrounded her as she felt the hands loosen and disappear altogether.

Heartbeat ringing in her ears, a pump of adrenaline shooting through her veins.  
It suddenly occurred to her that she was at the mercy of these men. Her thoughts taunted her, creeping and presenting themselves to her like thick poison suffocating her mind. Heartbeat ringing in her ears, a pump of adrenaline shooting through her veins. She didn't want to die here, not now, not alone.

Starting to panic, her mind and heart instantly calmed when the bag was removed from her head. Staring through the strands of her hair that covered her face, she sighed a heavy sigh of relief to see the two men she almost abandoned back at the camp.

Rick and Daryl stared down at Darcy with their guns raised at the dozen of armed men surrounding her. They noticed the bruising on her cheek bone, the exhausted expression, and her white knuckles from her squeezing to relieve the pain on her wrists.

Daryl stepped forward, his eye in line with the arrow, towards the (surprisingly short) man in front of the group. "Wha'd you do to her!"

One of them reacted, pulling out a pistol and pointing it at Darcy. "Came as she is bro." The thick Mexican accent stated calmly.

Daryl shuffled in is stance, gritting his teeth and shooting glances between Darcy and the man in front of him. Darcy looked to her right, narrowing her eyes at one of the men standing next to her. He had his hands in his pockets and a knife sticking out of his boot.

Also catching her eye was a small figure of T-Dog on a rooftop, sniper rifle aimed and ready for any action. Her survival instincts crept upon her, glancing back up at the man to make sure he wasn't paying attention. Her fingertips twitched deciding whether or not to take her chance.

Darcy's eyes flickered to Daryl's and he shook his head with a firm 'no.'

"I see two options." The man said. "You come back with Miguel and my bag of guns, everybody walks. Or, you come back locked and loaded, we'll see which side spills more blood."

The unfamiliar group did not hesitate in backing away, attempting to get an intimidated glance from the two men. Darcy faced the ground, trying to still her breathing. The rough hands grabbed her once again, pulling her up to her feet and back inside. All the while, keeping eye contact with Daryl as she saw him grow smaller and smaller in front of her.

She saw him nod in caring just before the bag was replaced over her head.

-

Darcy kept still as they pulled her along, guiding her up a few flights of stairs and into a room where she heard faint sounds of coughs and talks of another language.

The bag was removed again, and Darcy whisked her head around and squinted at the reappearing light. It was a hospital, or some type of care center. Darcy was in the entrance of a large room filled with sick elderly, and the men who had attacked her and Glen were helping them.

"Darcy!" Her eyes shot towards the voice, seeing it was Glen and he was smiling as he approached her.

The tape was pulled off, and the binds were cut loose. Darcy pushed the man to her right, "No wait!" Glen said, getting in between her and the man. "It's okay, they aren't going to hurt us."

Darcy narrowed her eyes at Glen and looked back at the man before rubbing her sore and slightly bleeding wrists. "Glen, what the hell is going on?"

"It's okay, they're just protecting them." Glen said, taking her by the shoulders and leading her to an elderly black man who was panicking in his wheelchair. Surrounding him were about six others.

"Are they infected?" Darcy whispered, and Glen shook his head.

"No, they're just old and sick." Glen shrugged, still smiling. "He's having an asthma attack, they need our help."

Darcy raised her eyes, "No, they need an inhaler."

Glen crossed his arms, "Could you be more defensive?"

Darcy scoffed, "I was just tied to a chair and thrown on my knees with a gun pointed to my head."

"They're just trying to protect their people. Just like we do." Glen sighed, and Darcy contemplated his words. "I hope you stay with us. We could really use you, and I'm betting you need us too."

Darcy stared at the boy as he blinked, seriousness in his tone. She looked down at the ground, then heard more footsteps behind her which caused her to turn in that direction. A wave of relief washed over her porcelain skin, seeing Rick, Daryl, and T-Dog coming into the room and over to her and Glen.

Rick had confused eyes, watching the sick man now being soothed by his inhaler brought up by one of the men he followed. As Rick stopped, Daryl caught Darcy's eye and didn't hesitate to walk over towards her.

"You alright?" He asked.

Darcy hadn't stopped tending to her wrists, "A bit sore, but I'm fine." She nodded, and he returned the gesture.

Rick spoke up, "What the hell is this?" Asking both Glen and Darcy.

"Asthma attack. Couldn't get his breath all of a sudden." Glen said.

"I thought you were being eaten by dogs, man." T-Dog snapped, making Glen form a confused expression as he turned his focus to a small bed in the corner. Three Chihuahua dogs squeaked at the large group.

Rick leaned into the main leader Guillermo, "Could I have a word with you?" He pulled him away from the crowd and Darcy just caught what he was beginning to say, "You are the dumbest son of a bitch I ever met…"

Darcy smirked and walked over to the tall windows of the room and looked out where they were. Outskirts of Atlanta, barely. It was a wonder how the Mexican group kept so safe in here, how they were able to protect each other.

Darcy looked back at the group of elders, but saw instead Daryl slowly walking up next her. She smiled slightly as she saw what he was carrying: her bow and arrows.

"Dropped these." Daryl handed them to her.

"Thank you." She greedily took them, wrapping them across her chest and shoulders so they rested in the middle of her back. She turned her gaze back out the window, seeing the rotting decay of the once great city.

"After all this," Daryl pointed with his hand, looking at the ground. "You still plannin' on goin' out by yourself?" He asked.

Darcy looked at him, then back out the window. "We protect each other, look out for one another." Daryl's voice was just above a whisper, "No reason to be alone when ya have people here willin' to protect and care 'bout you."

He picked at his nails in awkwardness but Darcy caught his stormy eyes, "Ain't that worth somin'?" He asked, she still kept quiet.

"Daryl. Darcy." They heard Rick say, motioning them to follow him.

Darcy turned, willingly going after the man in the sheriff's uniform "I am.." She heard Daryl say, making her turn back towards him again, "Grateful."

Darcy nodded again as she smiled and met his gaze, "Me too." It was her way of saying 'thank you' to him, of risking his life to save hers and Glen's.

Daryl smiled back and nodded towards Rick's direction, "We best go 'n find out what's goin' on." He said, smirking as he passed her to follow where Rick and the others went.

The two walked in on an important conversation. "What about the rest of your crew?" Rick asked, setting down the guns next to him.

"The Vatos trickle in to check on their parents, their grandparents. They see how things are and most decide to stay. It's a good thing too we need the muscle." Guillermo said, and Daryl stole a glimpse of Darcy for the third time.

"The people we've encountered since things fell apart, the worst kind – plunderers, the kind that take by force."

"That's not who we are." Rick assured him.

"How was I to know?" Guillermo responded. "My people got attacked and you show up with Miguel hostage – appearances."

T-Dog dropped his head. "Guess the world changed."

Guillermo didn't hesitate. "No. It's the same as it ever was. The weak get taken. So we do what we can here. The Vatos work on those cars, talk about getting the old people out of the city. But most can't even get to the bathroom by themselves so that's just a dream. Still, it keeps the crew busy, and that's worth something."

A silence came from Rick, and Guillermo continued. "So we barred all the windows, welded all the doors shut except for one entrance. The Vatos, they go out, scavenge what they can to keep us going. We watch the perimeter night and day and we wait. The people here, they all look to me now. I don't even know why."

Rick's blue eyed stare resembled understanding and appreciation. Darcy shuffled her feet, and she was considering the proposal brought out first by Rick, Glen, then Daryl.

She thought back to when she pictured herself being thrown out onto that pebble drive, thinking she was being left alone there only to defend for herself against the stumbling walks of the hungry. Darcy knew it was only a matter of time when she would realize she would regret the decision of leaving, and maybe going on this venture was for her the sole purpose of her seeing it. The sacrifice these men went through to save a stranger, it was aspiring.

It had been less than a day and she felt tied more to these people than her old group in the weeks combined. She knew one thing: there was a time and a place to die, and she didn't want to be alone when it happened. Even though the risk of coming close and intimate with these people rang loudly in her ears, Darcy knew for certain that losing people she cared about had more meaning than trying to escape this world on her own.

"Because they can." Rick said in a raspy voice. He looked down, handing Guillermo his shotgun without uncertainty followed by handing him a few guns from the bag. Thankful, Guillermo took them from him with respect and a good luck nod.

The group headed out from there, trying their best to stay on course the way they came.

"Admit it, you only came back to Atlanta for the hat." Glen said, easing the tension of the group.

"Don't tell anybody." Rick smiled.

Daryl stomped with his bow resting on his shoulder, "You've given away half our guns and ammo."

"Not nearly half." Rick retorted.

"For what?" Daryl asked. "Bunch of old farts who are gonna die off momentarily anyhow? Seriously, how long you think they got?"

"How long do any of us?" Darcy spoke up, squinting her eyes at the setting sun.

Coming around their last corner, their eyes widened and their jaws dropped at they stared at the blankness before them. The van was gone.

"Oh my God." Glen gasped.

"Where the hell's our van?" Daryl asked.

"We left it right there who would take it?" Glen panicked.

Darcy shook her head and put her hands on her hips in frustration. "Merle."

Daryl came to a disturbing realization, "He's gonna be taken some vengeance back to camp."

"We have to get moving," Darcy stepped forward. "We won't make it back in time for any day light and I'm not getting stuck out here tripping over ourselves trying to find the way."

"She's right, we can't be followin' the trail when it's dark. We have to go." Daryl said, walking away with her as the rest of the group nodded.

"We stay close." Rick commanded.

"We've got to be anywhere to close to an hour on foot, probably more with daylight gone." T-Dog mentioned.

"No use talkin' 'bout it let's go." Daryl rolled his eyes, but then he stopped. "You settin' sail or you stayin'?"

Darcy stopped ahead of the group and turned to face them all. She took in each one of their faces and expressions, knowing her decision already. Glenn looked at her with pleading eyes, Rick's was determined, T-Dog with expectancy, and finally Daryl – who anticipated either heartbreak or hope, but showed the utmost respect for this woman.

"I'll stay." Darcy nodded.

Rick smiled and put a hand on her shoulder, "Thank you."

-

They panted, out of breath and out of energy. The sunset was nearly hidden beyond the horizon, and the five brave fighters were determined to make it back safe and sound. The only thing on their minds: a well deserved rest and meal.

"Hold up!" T-Dog called out, stopping and bending over trying to catch his breath. "I gotta stop."

Rick looked up, slightly gasping for air. "There's the fire. We can walk from here."

"We ain't got no time!" Daryl yelled.

Darcy was bent over as well, hands on her knees, the old familiar feeling of sweat covering her body. She thought if she ever really get used to this.

"We've been at it for miles. We're running ourselves ragged." Glen said, hands on his hips and head bent back. They in fact had been running for the past hour to get there and now they found themselves exhausted.

"Let's keep moving." Rick said, walking towards the crackles of the embers less than a quarter mile away. "We're almost there."

Darcy sighed a relieved breath, readjusting her bow across her shoulder. She stood in the dark shadow of a large willow tree back near T-Dog incase he somehow fell behind. Putting a hand on his shoulder and motioning her head towards the others, he nodded and stood up straight before walking along side her.

As they moved, Darcy's eyes seized Daryl's as he watched her intently. He stopped to walk with them.

"Can fix that up at camp, get it all wrapped up." He pointed at her wrists.

"Just like my neck?" She smiled.

Daryl let out a small laugh, almost a grunt. "Sorry."

"I gave you a nice bop on the nose, we're even." Darcy teased him and Daryl couldn't help but stare at her smile.

Closer to their camp, they heard the quiet chuckles of the group around the fire. Taking another step towards the sounds of what was now their salvation, something when awry in Darcy's gut.

They heard the faint sounds of erratic rustles amongst the trees, followed by an all too familiar scent of rotting flesh coming in from the breeze ahead of them. A blood curdling scream made them still in complete shock and fear as they watched the distant shadows of the large group running around for safety.

"Oh my God."

Rick took off, pulling out his gun and sprinting towards the camp. Daryl caught Darcy's arm and took her with him in attempt to stay close to the distant Sherriff. Pushing themselves through the think woods, they saw and heard the lifeless grunts of the ones attacking their home.

They heard gun shots, the ripping of flesh, and bones breaking. Darcy's mind was circling.

Her heart broke as everything came to a crawl. Once again, she let her guard down and attached herself to a group that would now be taken from her. Like she didn't deserve the company of others.

_"Stay close!"_ They heard Shane scream. _"Come on!"_

_"Right in front of you! Shane!"_

_"MOM!"_

Darcy's heartbeat was the only sound she heard as they finally had reached the opening of the camp. She didn't hesitate, raising her bow and driving the arrow into the skull of an aware walker, bringing it down to the ground with a quiet thud.

Darcy reached behind her and pulled out another arrow, whipping her head around for the next target. Her brown fearful eyes soon turned to determination, not letting her camp die like this again. She aimed, and fired. Another one down.

Darcy stood next to Daryl and in front of Rick, Glen and T-Dog. Keeping out of sight at first, the first few gun shots brought everyone's attention to the return of the group. They spread out, committed to bringing every intruder down. One after another, they fell.

A few yards away, Daryl slammed his gun he still carried down on a skull, breaking it to pieces before moving onto the next. The sound of Rick shouting for his wife and son frantically made Darcy turn in his direction, just spotting a walker approaching Daryl from his left.

Darcy had no time to reach for an arrow and instead pulled out her pistol and shot, making Daryl turn around and witnessing the walker two feet away hit the ground.

He looked back at her, gun still aimed. Daryl had raised his gun towards his shoulder, giving the famous nod of respect and gratitude towards the woman. The shot she took was the last walker to finally fall, and the camp was safe in that moment.

The faces of the camp shown pure terror; losing half of their friends and family in one night. The strength and hope they fought so long for was depleted, sinking their hearts firmly in their chests.

Each of them found a loved one, a friend, a family member and held them close in that moment of realization. Darcy stood from a distance, hands on her hips and tears on the verge of falling. She clutched at herself in a vain attempt to stay comforted as her mind raced, this was just pure madness. They had been chased from their home, attacked, her family and friends dead with no one left. It felt like she was watching some over-dramatic movie on TV and all she wanted, more than anything, was to turn it off and go to bed. Darcy smudged the oncoming tears away with the back of her hand and took a deep but shaky breath. Someone had approached her with a hand on her shoulder.

Daryl had come to her side, and she instantly remembered that he had just lost his brother too and no longer had anything to hold on to. They were both stuck on their pride, even in the desperateness they both shared. Darcy broke though, knowing it wasn't worth staying strong. She stared at the ground as she turned to him, bringing her arms in front of her chest and holding herself against him.

Daryl tensed, his hand had not left her shoulder. The woman's small frame was shaking from the shock of the attack as she leaned against him. Instinct had washed over him, setting aside his pride and strength like she had and wrapped his arms around her in comfort. His cheek met her forehead, and Daryl felt the warmth of the woman's body instantly relax him.

Darcy again heard the faint cries of someone nearby, but they weren't out of fear; they were out of pure sadness. The two turned, Daryl still holding Darcy but not realizing it just yet in the direction of the whimpers.

Andrea was holding her dead sister in her arms.

Rick let go of his family as he stared in shock, deep inside of him guilt rose knowing he shouldn't have risked these people's lives for one dangerous and unstable man.

Shane was right.


	5. Captivating

**Captivating**

Morning hadn't come soon enough.

It was a blistering sunny day in Georgia, most like the days before it. Darcy laid with her eyes shut allowing the rush of the wind to toss the ends of her hair about gently. Daryl's tent was stuffy and hot and even with the window flap open Darcy felt drowsy with the late summer heat-wave.

The fact that it was only eight in the morning didn't seem to bother the weather all that much and as the sun started to raise itself in the sky, Darcy grimaced at the thought of having to start moving the bodies outside any minute now.

Darcy flipped onto her back as she picked at one of her arrows. Her head turned towards Daryl, who was also on his back but apparently asleep. She could have sworn she heard him stir as she had moments ago.

Daryl had graciously offered Darcy to stay in his tent with an unsure voice as there were no other spaces available in the now small camp. She hadn't minded and neither did he, they both could protect each other and themselves if anything had happened during the night.

The embrace Daryl had given Darcy the previous night had the same effect on both of them: the respect of each other, and the comfort of a friend in desperate times. Even though it had only been two days, Darcy and Daryl became inseparable because of the bond they shared. The bond, as mentioned before, was silent but heard loud and clear. They would look out for each other, not because they had no one left, but because they wanted to.

The two most stubborn people left on the planet found someone to hold on to.

A quite rapping on the tent's entrance made Daryl pry open his eyes just a slither, there stood on the other side of the dirty tent opening was a sleepy looking Shane, raising his tired eyes at the two hunters.

"It's that time." He said, rubbing his face with his hand. "We'll be on the move soon." Shane gave Darcy a nod, "You mind being in charge of breakfast? I need Daryl to help move the bodies."

Darcy sat up slowly with an ache in her shoulder, pushing her hair back and nodding with an exhausted glance. "Sure."

Shane gave a thankful look, "Andrea and Amy had a whole lotta luck with fish last night, you can try the Quarry. We don't want anybody straying too far you hear?"

Darcy listened while she slipped on her boots and grabbed her bow and arrows. "That's where I'll be then."

Shane sighed before standing up out of the tent to let Darcy come out. He followed her for a few seconds when he said, "We all appreciate you stayin'. Our odds would have been a lot worse if you weren't there. Wish ya'll had never left but we sure are grateful you came back."

"You don't think we should've gone?" Darcy asked innocently, but analyzing his every word carefully.

Shane sighed again before looking at her with raised brows, "It ain't my call."

"I appreciate you letting me stay here." Darcy nodded, ignoring his statement and Shane watched her leave with his hands on his hips. By that time, Daryl had come out of the tent with his boots in hand. Even if it was with squinty eyes, he wouldn't miss watching Darcy as she walked away.

"You just _found_ her in the woods?" Shane asked with a slight laugh.

Daryl nodded, "Yeah, kept up all in an abandoned house." He turned away, "Almost killed me."

-  
Just about a half hour had passed, and Darcy stood tall on a rock further from the shore of the Quarry, bow in hand. She tied up her brown waves into a messy lose bun, letting some strands fall where they may. The heat of the sun made her wriggle her toes slightly, enjoying the warmth under her feet.

As soon as she had seen the beauty of the cool blue water herself, she immediately smiled and tossed her boots aside, rolling up her skinny jeans and leaping across the tall boulders outlining the shore.

Darcy might as well had been relaxed while she fished, even if it was for a short while.

A slight movement underneath the shallow shore waters caught her hazel eyes, and she instantly raised her bow and followed the scaled creature, anticipating its every move. As she released her breath, she fired and hit the bass just above the gills.

Darcy hopped down, grabbing her arrow stuck in the sand beneath the water and pulling her catch up with ease. She un-plucked the arrow from the fish and strung it through along with the other six or seven she had waiting on a nearby rock.

Figuring it was about time to head back up, she grabbed her boots just as she heard footsteps coming towards her.

"Woah girl, looks like you've got quite a shot." Shane applauded, coming towards her with a slight smile.

"Everything okay?" Darcy asked. She felt a little nervous around Shane, like there was something to be on-guard about.

Shane nodded, returning to his serious glance. "Might need you to come back up, having some trouble with certain people."

"Daryl?" She assumed.

He nodded again, "Looks like he's on a rampage about his brother again, on-edge."

"What do you want me to do?" Darcy asked, not knowing his point. "I'm not baby-sitter."

"Just come up, be included in the decisions we make. Whether you wanted it or not, there are already some folks looking to you for support." He said firmly. "Including me."

"And if I view things differently than you?" Darcy asked, narrowing her eyes in question.

"It's bound to happen sometime. Not everyone's gonna agree about everythin.'" Shane responded.

Darcy nodded. "Alright." She said, following Shane back up the hill.

"So what's this I hear about you almost killin' Daryl?" Shane laughed, trying to get to know the new group member.

Darcy smiled a shy smile, "Wasn't even close to that. We both had each other at the same time, just scared me was all."

"The man's stubborn, he is."

"From what I've seen I'm just like him."

"But quieter." Shane poked.

Darcy let out a laugh, something she hadn't done in a long time. "Definitely quieter."

As the pair came up over the hillside, the RV came into view. The smell of burning flesh caught Darcy's nostrils, and she held up the back of her hand over her mouth. The sound of broken bones shot her eyes to the right, seeing Daryl with a pick-axe and ramming it into each dead body's skull.

She followed Shane to the fire, where Rick, Dale, and Lori were gathered.

"She still won't move?" Rick asked.

"Won't even talk to us." Lori sighed.

Darcy glanced next to the RV where Andrea hadn't left her sister's side since she was taken last night. Her heart sank, dropping the pile of fish next to the fire.

"She knows it has to happen?" Darcy asked quietly, bringing up her hand to shade her face from the glare of the sun.

Dale nodded in response. "We just don't know if she wants to do it or.." He shrugged it off.

"She's been there all night." Lori stated. "What do we do?"

"Can't just leave Amy like that." Shane sat by the fire, holding his rifle. "We need to deal with it. Same as the others."

Rick stepped up, "I'll tell her how it is." The small group nodded, and watched the sheriff approach the broken girl.

Daryl's voice came over the anticipation of the group, "You catch somin'?" He asked Darcy, but she didn't answer. Darcy kept her eyes on Rick as he went up to Andrea, and Daryl followed her gaze to watch too.

Rick had barely gotten out Andrea's name when she immediately reacted to the tone of his voice. She pulled out her pistol, cocking it and aiming it firmly at Rick's face. The group all stood up, waiting to see Andrea's next move.

"I know how the safety works." She hissed, before Rick slowly nodded and backed away to leave her alone with her sister.

Daryl threw the pick-axe on his shoulder and scoffed. "Ya'll can't be serious. Let that girl hamstring us?" He pointed at Andrea and Darcy crossed her arms next to him. "The dead girl's a time bomb."

"What do you suggest?" Rick asked.

Daryl took a step towards Darcy, "Take the shot. Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance, and you sure as hell can too!"

"No. For God's sakes, let her be." Lori sat down, not giving the chance for Darcy to respond to Daryl's blatant words.

Rick and Shane both shrugged, looking back at Daryl. He took the wandering eyes and Darcy's avoiding stare as his answer. He scoffed before walking away to return to his duty.

"Wake up, Jimbo. We've got some work to do." Daryl said to Jim before moving over to help Morales move a body that used to be a member of the group.

"What are you guys doing?" Glen asked the two, panicking as they moved towards the burning fire. "This is for Geeks, our people go over there!"

"What's the difference? They're all infected." Daryl said callously.

Glen made them drop the body, "Our people go in that row over there. WE DON'T BURN THEM!" He yelled, Darcy glanced over, respecting Glen by standing his ground. "We bury them. Understand?"

Daryl and Morales both watched Glen, knowing fully well that he was right. "Our people go over there." He repeated once more, before the two took the body once again and moved it to where Glen told them to.

"You reap what you sow." Daryl commented.

"Man, shut up!" Morales yelled.

Daryl let go of the body hastily, pointing at the groups once living friends. "Ya'll left my brother for dead! You had this comin'!"

Darcy had ignored this argument, since she expected them to be frequent with Daryl. She simply started to skin and debone the freshly caught fish, doing what she could in the time she had. She had glanced up occasionally, seeing the distributed bodies among the ground, wondering how they managed to get some sleep knowing there could be a potential threat waiting for them in the morning.

_"I'm fine."_ She heard Jim say firmly, and he had gotten the attention of the entire group as he repeated it over and over again.

"Then show me!" Jacqui took a step back, forcefully accusing the man.

Jim whispered something to the woman, and Darcy took a few steps forward trying to hear. "A walker got him! A walker bit Jim!" She yelled, trying to back away from Jim.

The group stood up, alarmed, and Daryl came from behind Darcy. "Show it to us!" He pointed.

"I'm okay!" Jim turned to run away, picking up a shovel to attack anyone who came near. T-Dog caught him, and Daryl stepped forward to lift his shirt. Darcy closed her eyes tightly at the sight of a perfect mouth bit on the side of Jim's stomach.

Jim slurred his words and struggled with his footing. "I'm okay. I'm okay." He repeated, desperately trying to convince himself more than anyone else. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

Darcy felt a cold shiver down her spine as the group encircled the infected man. It was just one thing after another in this new world they all tried to cope with. They stood in silence, watching their good friend struggling to believe his own words that came from his mouth.

Rick raised a hand towards Jim to calm him down, "Hey Jim, why don't you go ahead a just take a seat right over there and the rest of us will discuss a few things?"

Jim eyed him carefully before nodding slowly, stumbling over his feet to reach the back of the trailer hitch. Rick waved a few over, forming a small circle away from Jim.

Daryl didn't hesitate speaking first, "I say we put a pick-axe in his head, and the dead girl's and be done with it."

Shane sighed, lowering his head, "Is that what you'd want if it were you?"

Daryl raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it."

Unsuspectingly, Dale spoke up. "I hate to say it – I never thought I would – but maybe Daryl's right."

Rick grew defensive, "Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog."

"I'm not suggesting-"

"He's sick. A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?" Rick said, jumping over Dale's argument.

"But we don't have a cure for this, or anybody for that matter. And who knows when he'll turn – takes some minutes and others take hours. I know I just was welcomed here but we have to make a decision." Darcy crossed her arms, talking firmly but quietly.

Daryl nodded in agreement towards her, "The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers or them to be."

"What if we can get him help?" Rick asked. "I heard the C.D.C. was working on a cure."

"I heard that too." Shane said, but sighed in disagreement. "I heard a lot of things before the world went to hell."

"What if the C.D.C is still up and running?" Rick pleaded.

Shane shook his head. "Man, that is a stretch right there."

"Why?" Rick asked.

"The C. just outside the city. There's no way it wasn't either overrun. or abandoned just like everywhere else in this place." Darcy said.

"If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the C.D.C. at all costs, wouldn't they?" Rick argued. "I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection –"

Daryl looked at Darcy and shook his head before Shane spoke again, "Okay, Rick. You want those things, all right? I do too, okay? Now if they exist, they're at the army base. Fort Benning."

"That's a hundred miles in the opposite direction." Lori sighed.

"That is right," Shane discussed. "But it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me, if that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there." Shane looked at everyone in the group.

"The military were on the front lines of this thing." Rick said. "They got overrun, we've all _seen_ that."

"Exactly-" Darcy said, raising a hand to Rick, "So who's to say the people you think protecting the C.D.C. didn't get overrun with them? You said yourself it's the governments main priority, maybe?"

"The C.D.C. is our best choice and Jim's only chance." Rick said, shrugging his shoulders.

Daryl glanced over his shoulder, gripping the pick-axe firmly in his hands and glared. "You go looking for aspirin, do what you need to do." He slowly turned away and took a step, "Someone needs to have some _balls_ to take care of this damn problem!" Daryl took off, raising his weapon at a cowering Jim, not making any effort to flee.

Rick caught up to him, and raised his pistol at the back of his head. "Hey!" He yelled. At the sound of the click of his gun, Daryl stopped in his tracks. "We don't kill the living."

Shane had stepped in between Daryl and Jim by this time, and Daryl turned towards Rick. "That's funny coming from a man who just put a gun to my head." He growled.

"We may disagree on some things, not on this. You put it down." Shane commanded Daryl. "Go on."

Daryl scoffed and slammed his axe into the ground while Rick lowered his gun. As Rick approached Jim to take him to another safe location, Daryl stormed away, and Darcy turned back to the sight of the task of her fish. The problem was pushed aside for now, but Andrea and Amy still posed a different one.

As if on cue, reading her mind as if, Dale approached Andrea with no intention of telling her what to do about her sister. Darcy turned back again and took her knife out of her boot, skinning the fish with ease. She noticed Daryl had gone back to sculling the dead bodies around them.

Darcy hadn't noticed that Shane took a squat beside her. "You don't think the C.D.C. is a good idea neither?"

Darcy sighed and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, now holding the knife loosely. "I said my case back there. Seems Rick's made up his mind anyway, no reason to fight him." She looked up at him. "Don't think Fort Benning's a good idea either, mind you."

Shane scoffed, "If the place is operational-"

Darcy met his eyes with a sternness that Shane wasn't expecting. "_If_ – you people need to understand that _if_ isn't good enough anymore. We need definite answers – not more questions." Darcy looked down at her fish. "You expect to be leadin' this group but all you're doing, all Rick's doing, is putting everyone in more danger. Jim's not gonna survive this trip with either which way we choose – and even if he does – he's got no chance."

"How can you be so sure?" Daryl asked quietly, overhearing the conversation.

"After everything that's happened, everything we've been through-" Darcy scoffed, "After seeing our own government fall and die…we've highly underestimated what this world's come to." Darcy shook her head. "I've accepted that there is no cure. I've accepted that we will have to fight to survive for as long as we can and lose those we care about in the process."

"And you're okay with that?" Shane asked.

Darcy shrugged her shoulders as Daryl sat down next to her, "I don't have a choice."

The sound of a monster awaking heavily from a deep sleep whipped the heads of the bystanders around slowly, seeing for the first time Amy moving with crackling bones and a dark stare. Amy struggled against her un-phased sister, the monster trying her hardest to dig her teeth into Andrea's skin.

Andrea held Amy's face dearly in both hands before whispering an 'I love you' and pulling the trigger of her father's pistol, ending the suffering of both their hearts and minds. The group watched, the sight tugging on their own heartstrings as they secretly wished for the strength of Andrea for themselves.

Dale picked up a large tarp used for the other members that had passed and defeatingly made his way over to his once dear friend. Andrea took the tarp without question and wrapped her sister up, preparing her for burial.

The group then walked together towards the loaded pick-up truck filled with their own, following the silent pathway up to the marked graves. Jim rested inside the RV alone, escaping the silent glares from ones like Daryl.

"Darcy." Daryl called, motioning with a sway of his head for her to ride up in the truck with him. She followed with her hands on her hips, climbing into the truck with Daryl and watching him turn the keys.

Starting up the engine, Daryl tapped on the steering wheel before looking over at the woman next to him. She stared forward, and he took in her beauty silently. Darcy was absolutely breathtaking, and it scared him.

He coughed, making those thoughts stray away and focusing on the slight nagging question resting on the back of his mind. "You don't really believe those things you said, do you?"

Darcy didn't move, but gave a weak sigh. "I don't know."

Daryl shifted his truck into gear, "You're too strong to think so weak."

Darcy faced him, "What do you think then?"

Daryl shrugged, "Bound to be someone out there who knows somethin'." He met her eyes, and it sent her heart leaping. "Just gotta find 'em."

-

After the burial, what was left of the camp resided around the campfire. The sun was starting to set, and it made them all grateful to give them a break from it's non-stop sultriness.

Darcy sat on a lawn chair, once again picking at one of her arrow heads impatient for Shane and Rick to return from their sweep. Daryl sat next to her of course, prodding the cooking filets Darcy had caught earlier that day. The smell was intoxicating, and Darcy's stomach might as well have ripped through her skin to lunge at the large amounts of food she used to be familiar with on a regular basis.

Daryl flipped one onto a plate, handing it to Darcy before anyone else. Their eyes met again, and she couldn't help but smile at the country boy.

The two policemen had returned just then, Shane approaching the group first. He scratched his head and set down his gun before proceeding with the final plan of action that had the entire camp on edge.

"So uh- I've been thinking about Rick's plan." He started, "Now look, there are no – there are no guarantees either way…" Shane specifically looked to Darcy, "I'll be the first one to admit that. I've known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is we need to stay together. So those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning."

-

"Seems like Shane took what you said to heart." Daryl said with his back towards Darcy, who was currently sitting on her sleeping bag and struggling with her boot laces.

_Was I drunk when I tied these this morning?_ She thought, finally squeezing her small foot out of the mouth with such a force that almost made her fall backwards.

"We need to be realistic." Darcy mumbled, throwing her boot across the tent's floor.

"Don't be gettin' mud where I sleep." Daryl grunted, turning around and kicking the dirt particles towards the flap of the tent.

"You're covered in it, does it matter?" Darcy let out a slight laugh, noticing his disheveled appearance closely.

"Yeah," He said matter-of-factly, "Might be bugs hidin' in it." Daryl pointed on the wall behind Darcy, "See? Spider found his way in."

Daryl watched as Darcy instantly jumped, turning around and freezing at the sight of the eight-legged monster climbing over her pillow.

"Get it." She squeezed her eyes shut.

Daryl laughed, "It's just a spider."

"Get it." She repeated, covering her face with her hands.

"You can manage two weeks by yourself in a dead world and ya can't kill a bug?" Daryl raised an eyebrow, leaning down in front of Darcy and swiping the fiend away.

"Spiders are eight legged demons that attack in silent rage." Darcy's eyes were still shut, but she could feel the longing warmth of Daryl's body extremely close to her. She peered through her fingers at him leaning around her with one arm.

"Did you get it?" She asked.

Daryl laughed again, and she felt his breath against her soft skin. "He's gone." He said, turning his head and watching her as she let her hands fall and turn her head to meet his. Darcy watched in silence as Daryl traced over every feature of her face, until finally his stormy blue eyes locked onto her hazel ones. They stayed silent, and unmoving.

"Thank you." Darcy whispered, watching Daryl's eyes once more as they flickered towards her rosy pink lips. He shrugged a smile, giving her a nod whilst catching her amber eyes once more.

Hesitating, they both moved slightly away from one another, unsure of the next move to take. They sat in an atmosphere that would seem awkward at first, but was in fact, very comfortable for both.

Darcy turned her head slightly, knowing full well she was blushing but thanking God the dirt on her face covered the sight, "We should get some sleep." She looked back at him and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Daryl couldn't help but nod, like he always did, but he didn't move towards his side of the tent straight away. He sat close to her for awhile longer, caught up in her perfection.

It was then he finally admitted to himself something he already knew right when he first laid eyes on her: She was absolutely _captivating._


	6. Another Man Down

**Another Man Down**

Darcy woke with a jump and the shivering feeling of a cold sweat dripping from her forehead. She bolted upright in her sleeping bag, breathing sharp and fast. The tent's window flap hadn't been closed before her and Daryl fell asleep and now a soft light shone through the tiny mosquito-proof holes and across the tent floor.

Darcy brushed her loose chestnut waves back from her face where it was stuck with the clammy sweat as she swallowed hard, re-living her nightmare as she played it back in her mind.

Darcy frowned in disbelief. She hadn't had nightmares about the world's end in awhile and she couldn't believe they were back after so long. It was discouraging and defeating to her that these dreams that had been through her mind over and over again since the start of this apocalypse, were back again. She thought she conquered these fears already, and only a few weeks ago had they suddenly stopped.

Although, there was something different about them now. Alone and on the run from the walkers by herself, her nightmares typically showed her being trapped in only what she could describe as a box as the dead bodies around her rose from the ground and lunged towards her. The worst of it all was, (because the dream had been so great up until then anyways right?) Darcy could never get away.

This time was different. Darcy blew out a huge breath of air and closed her eyes as she took herself through the dream once more.

_It was a field, what seemed to be as what only one could describe as majestic. Darcy stood in the sun, the wind blowing her hair lightly as the dirt which now became a part of her flawless features covered spots of her face. She was tired, and her eyes scanned her surroundings – in seconds the field had shifted towards darkness and death, the bodies of the lost encircled her as they lay quietly for the time being._

Darcy held her bow as she watched in silence, not even the wind made a sound or a cricket could be heard. Completely still, her hazel eyes viewed them one by one as the bodies got up and stared straight back at her.

It was up until this point the dream had been seen before. Darcy would usually see herself try and flee, only being caught by one of the walkers in a failed attempt to escape. Only this time, a hand enclosed around hers pulling her to safety and into a friend's company. As they ran together, distant screams began to filter through Darcy's mind. The more she concentrated, the louder they became until she finally jolted awake.

Darcy glanced over at Daryl who had his back turned towards her and was sound asleep. It was him who had pulled her to safety, and she watched him in confusion before she stood up and exited the tent.

Stepping into the early morning light made Darcy squint and bring an unsteady hand up to her eyes. "You're up early." A quiet voice made Darcy turn her head, and Carol was standing near the edge of the cliff with her arms crossed overlooking the view.

"Couldn't sleep." Darcy mumbled, walking over towards her. "You?"

"Me either." Carol shrugged, "Usually can't these days. Especially with Ed gone."

"I'm sorry." Darcy said sincerely, taking in the expression on the broken woman's face.

Carol laughed slightly, making light of the situation, "You think I _would_ get more sleep now that I have one monster out of my life…just have to deal with the dead ones now."

Darcy blew out a breath in an attempt of laughter, before moving onto the more important questions. "And Sophia?"

Carol sighed and looked back at the mountains, "I hope I can raise her better without him. He always held me back." Carol smiled slightly and looked at Darcy, "I've been looking for a second chance."

Darcy frowned, scrunching her eyebrows faintly, "And this is it?"

"I consider this as a blessing in disguise." Carol said. "You should too."

"For what though?" Darcy asked.

"Mine is Sophia, getting a chance to raise her right." Carol nodded, "Yours may not find you right away, or maybe it already has."

"Like what?" Darcy asked, intrigued.

"I think that Daryl finding you when he did is a sign of things to come." Carol shrugged again and mumbled, "But what do I know?"

Darcy looked at the ground as she reflected back to her dream, deep in thought. "You think Daryl is a good man?" She glanced back up to Carol.

Carol nodded without hesitation, "I think he will be, now that Merle's gone – he wasn't good for him." Carol turned towards Darcy, "But _you_, just from the bond you two share already…the way he looks at you…"

"We've only just met." Darcy blushed.

Carol smiled, and came up to Darcy and put a light hand on her shoulder. "Things aren't exactly what they used to be."

-

Darcy propped herself up on the hood of the old Dixon's pick-up truck as Shane and Rick gathered the group to start their new journey to the C.D.C. She smiled across the way at Carol and Sophia, and they returned their new friend's gesture. The talk the two women shared that morning brought a new light to Darcy's eyes, and also to her well-being. She respected Carol more than anyone there: a mom moving past the death of her husband to protect and raise her little girl in a lost world.

Daryl was packing his supplies in the back of his truck as he glanced up at Darcy occasionally, watching her twiddle her feet back and forth before laying down on the hood of the truck completely.

Darcy's slightly loose white t-shirt was ripped in random places, causing Daryl's eyes to trace up her body to where her shirt had lifted ever-so-lightly to reveal her nicely toned hips as well as the area just below her belly button.

"Alright everybody, listen up." Shane walked forward with Rick, gathering the camp around their vehicles and close together to hear the plan to travel to the C.D.C.

Daryl snapped out of his thoughts as Darcy sat back up, and he slammed the trunk closed to walked over and stand beside her. Darcy looked at him and met his gaze as she nodded and him returning the gesture. Her heart gave a subtle hint of butterflies as he stood close and leaned back against the truck next to her.

_Stop._ She instantly thought to herself. _This is no time to start feeling this way._

"Those of you with C.B.s, we're gonna be on channel 40." Shane looked at everyone, "Let's keep the chatter down, okay? Now you got a problem, don't have a C.B., can't get a signal or anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan."

Daryl shuffled his feet and rubbed his face as Shane continued, "Any questions?"

Morales spoke up suddenly in a cautious tone, "We're uh, we're not going."

The atmosphere and tone of the group flipped, and everyone had stopped to stare at the family they had grown close with. Rick and Shane stood with a confused and worried expression at the family of four, but Morales stood his ground.

"We have family in Birmingham." Morale's wife spoke, "We want to be with our people."

"You go on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane raised his eyebrows.

"We'll take the chance." Morales said, then looked at Rick. "I gotta do what's best for my family."

"You sure?" Rick asked.

Morales nodded, "We talked about it. We're sure."

Rick looked at Shane, "All right. Shane?"

"Yeah." Shane nodded at Rick's quiet question, leaning down into the gun bag and pulling out a small ration that they felt they could spare. Daryl scoffed, as he clearly felt otherwise.

As the other members of the group said their good bye's to the family, Daryl continued his silent temper tantrum and turned around to face Darcy, putting his elbow's up on the truck's hood next to her.

"This is bullshit, them givin' away our only weapons and ammo. We already gave 'em to those old folks back in the city. Wasting guns for nothin'." He scoffed.

Darcy slightly agreed by nodding, "Can't let them go with nothing, with no protection." She mumbled, looking back at Shane.

"It's their own choice." Daryl said.

"Would you of given me any if I left?" Darcy asked him, locking eyes.

Daryl sighed and scratched his neck. "It's different."

"It's no different." Darcy retorted.

"Channel 40 if you change your minds." Rick said to Morales before watching his family walk away to their cars and getting in. They would follow the group before branching out in their own direction.

"Come on. Let's go." Shane said to the group, walking back to his Jeep and packing up for good. "Everyone know who they're goin' with?" He asked, and received nods from everyone.

Darcy jumped down from the hood of Daryl's truck, bringing herself closer to him than expected. He didn't budge when she jumped down, and she could feel his hot breath on her cheek as he spoke, "You ridin' with me?"

Darcy moved past him with a slight smirk, opening the passenger door of his truck and climbing in. Daryl kept his face straight, but the glint in his eyes gave him away as he climbed in next to her to drive. He was absolutely drawn to her, there was no question.

As the rest of the group followed suit, they instantly started their engines and moved out on Shane's command. One by one the five vehicles rolled their way out of the home they had called their own for weeks, leaving memories and loved one's buried in the ground as well as in the past.

The group drove for a few miles down the main roads, seeming in complete bliss for just a few moments before waving goodbye to Morales' family as they took a different route from the rest – most likely to never be seen or heard from again.

Daryl sat next to Darcy, both leaning on their elbows on the edge of the windows beside them, feeling relaxed for the time being as the breeze drifted through their hair and delivering them from the horrible heat of the south. He would do as he always did, steal small glimpses of her as her hair was being tousled by the wind and her amber eyes burning bright. Then, he would catch himself totally enraptured by her and focus back on the road again.

The group continued to drive for miles down the major highways, un-expectant of the troubles that wait for them up ahead. Darcy thought about Jim, whether or not he would even make it to the C.D.C., or if the facility was even operational, if there was anyone left, if they even had a chance of reaching it.

The caravan slowed suddenly, and Darcy sat upright in her seat to just make out the visible smoke flowing out from the R.V. leading the group.

"Damn trailer." Daryl mumbled, and Darcy hopped out of the truck as soon as Daryl had turned off the engine. They caught up at the front of the line with the others, as Rick and Dale inspected the damage.

"I told you we'd never get far on that hose." Dale sighed. "I said I needed the one from the cube van."

"Can you jury-rig it?" Rick asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"That's all it's been so far. It's more duct tape than hose." Dale shook his head, "And I'm out of duct tape."

Darcy leaned on one of her legs with her bow over her shoulder and her hands on her hips. Daryl stood next to her and gave her a silent nod and she instantly grabbed her weapon and had it ready as the two of them designated themselves as watch for the time being.

"Ain't gonna be sittin' ducks." Daryl whispered to her as he raised his crossbow by his shoulder.

Shane spoke up with the binoculars raised to his sight, "I see something up ahead." He turned to Rick, "A gas station, if we're lucky."

The group all turned to follow Shane's gaze, trying to squint at the small figure of a building far up ahead. The frantic footsteps from inside the R.V. startled them, and they saw Jacqui sprint suddenly from the vehicle, out of breath and extremely worried. "Y'all, Jim – it's bad. I don't think he can take anymore."

Daryl glanced with his head down at Darcy, who gave him the same cautious look that he wore on his face as Jacqui ran back inside to tend to Jim.

Shane turned to Rick. "Hey Rick, you want to hold down the fort? I'll drive ahead, see what I can bring back."

"Yeah, I'll come along too and I'll back you up." T-Dog nodded.

"Y'all keep your eyes open now, we'll be right back." Shane nodded back, motioning for T-Dog to follow him and head off towards the hopeful station, but Shane walked up to Darcy first, "You and Daryl keep watch while Rick figures out what to do 'bout him." He motioned his head towards the R.V., referring to Jim.

Darcy gave a simple nod to let him know she understood and watched him walk away and get in his jeep. Daryl kept an eye on the two of them as they talked in silence for that moment, but turned to follow Jacqui into the trailer.

Darcy watched Daryl as he took a few steps into the R.V. to see what he could, but came back out when he noticed Rick was behind him. As he stepped down, Daryl looked to Darcy and gave her a sign that read he couldn't see much – but it couldn't be good.

Darcy waited for him to catch up with her, and they walked side by side together with their weapons still armed and ready. Jim had to know that his odds weren't in his favor, especially while the group was still far away from their hopeful destination. Now with the ongoing and relentless fixing of the R.V., the slightest sliver of hope had vanished for Jim's good fortune.

Daryl stood on the left of his tuck, facing the direction of the road from where they just came from as Darcy took the right and faced the woods. Something was on his mind all day, and he didn't know how to bring it up to Darcy, to just asked what had happened this morning. The woman didn't know he wasn't asleep, and he overheard some of the conversation Darcy had with Carol that morning.

"Thought ya had left this mornin'." Daryl mumbled, looking over at Darcy who suddenly brought her eyes to the ground.

"Why?" She asked quietly.

Daryl shrugged and shuffled on his feet, looking back and forth from her to the road. "I know how you felt about the C.D.C., Fort Benning too…just looked over an' ya weren't there."

Darcy lowered her bow and turned to face him, "Just had a bad dream." She watched Daryl nod. "Why do you care anyway?" It wasn't a harsh question, but the sudden accusation of Daryl being worried about her suddenly made her want to know more, and why.

He immediately snapped back and glared at her, "I don't." Daryl watched Darcy roll her eyes with a smirk. He avoided her gaze for a moment but couldn't help himself bring it back to her once more. "What was it?" He asked, referring to her dream.

Darcy scoffed, "What it always is, being trapped by those damn things and you just can't get away."

Daryl slightly grinned and huffed a laugh, "That ain't no dream. Tha's real."

Darcy knew his comment was true, and she hadn't thought about it in that way before. But she ignored him and shrugged as she faced the woods once more, "Just couldn't sleep."

"Daryl, Darcy." They heard their names being called, and they both turned to see Rick and the others huddled outside the R.V. in hushed tones.

They hustled over to them, as they were brought up to speed about Jim's current state. "Jim can't take much more of this." Rick rubbed his face, not making eye contact with the others. "He wants to be left here. By himself. It's what he says he wants."

Carol asked, "And he's lucid?"

Rick shuffled on his feet, looking for the right words. "He seems to be. I would say yes."

"Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood." Dale spoke quietly, looking directly at Rick with a frustrated glance. "I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer."

"We just leave him here? And take off?" Shane asked, "Man, I'm not sure I could live with that."

"It's not your call. Either one of you." Lori spoke with her hands on her hips with a matter-of-fact attitude. Darcy instantly picked up that the two, Rick and Shane, had tension between them to decide who gets first call and the final decision. However, there was something else going on between the three that seemed off, but she couldn't pick it up just yet.

Rick nodded and rubbed his face again whilst looking at Shane. "Alright." He said, and the two disappeared inside the R.V. to retrieve the defeated man inside. Moments later, the two emerged carrying Jim slowly, his face etching the feeling of pain and un-comfortableness with every movement.

The group parted, giving the three space and a path towards the woods so they could lean him against a shaded tree a little further in from the road. Jim still had his humor though, as he looked up at the tree he now sat against and said, "Hey, another damn tree."

Shane still kneeled towards the man, "Hey Jim – I mean, you know it doesn't need to be this."

Jim breathed heavily and shook with every word, "No. It's good. The breeze feels nice."

Shane hung his head in defeat, "Okay. All right." And stepped back.

Jacqui came forward after Shane, and knelt down in front of him and took his hand in hers, "Just close your eyes sweetie. Don't fight." She kissed him on the cheek, tears running from her eyes and stepped back again.

Rick took a few steps towards Jim, holding a hand out with a gun placed in it, "Jim, do you want this?" Showing him the gun.

Jim shook his head, "No. You'll need it. I'm okay."

With understanding, Rick stepped back and passed Dale who approached Jim also, "Thanks for uh, for fighting for us." Dale said with a smile, receiving a nod from Jim.

No one else came up to Jim after Dale, but the hurt and saddened hearts of those who stood by were visible on their faces. Glen held his hat in his hands tightly as he nodded at Jim in appreciation and respect. One by one they each met Jim's gaze before telling him a silent goodbye and heading off to load into the vehicles once more.

Darcy held the door open on the passenger's side of Daryl's truck and looked back at Jim, and the last person to say goodbye. Daryl gave his famous nod and met Jim's gaze for the last time. Jim returned the gesture, along with a quick smile that signaled he understood Daryl's harsh actions back at camp. Then, Daryl walked away and approached the truck with Darcy, pulling himself in and turning on the engine.

The now smaller group looked out their vehicle windows, some trying to see if Jim would finally see the madness of wanting to be left behind and stand up to run after them while others just looked towards a friend who was now lost and could not be saved.

Nevertheless, they all carried on with Jim in their hearts, praying to God that somehow he'd be alright and they would finally find rescue at the C.D.C.


	7. All That's Left

**All That's Left**

They stopped.

For what seemed like days, the caravan had finally stopped just outside the C.D.C. in the growing night's darkness. Darcy's heart ached with wondering, nervousness, and she ultimately was preparing herself for any disappointment that she might as well have been used to by now.

Darcy watched as Daryl shut off the engine with a twist of the keys, and she noticed he hadn't moved afterwards. She brought up her eyes slowly to meet with the stony blue ones she had gotten comfortable with, both troubled about the safety and rationality of Rick's decision to come here, both anxious to find out the truth.

In silence, they opened their doors and stepped out with the rest of the group, scanning their unfortunate surroundings around the building that had been their destination since last night. Darcy caught glimpse of Rick, and his body language suddenly dropped, and he had a good reason as to why.

The bodies of not only civilians, but of American soldiers were strewn about the area, shot and killed in an obviously deadly battle. The only sound besides their own footsteps and the cool breeze of the wind was the cloud of flies that found homes on the bodies, nestling and feeding off the dead flesh. Up ahead, in the middle of all the chaos, was the building of the C.D.C itself, standing tall as a fading glimmer of hope for the world.

Darcy turned back to Shane, who was already shaking his head and had his hands on his hips, realizing that she was right about this place. It also occurred to him that she could be right about Fort Benning too. He met her eyes, and lowered his head down as she turned forward again.

The group followed Rick with all weapons at the ready. Darcy watched with narrowed eyes ahead of the leader, making sure that all the bodies were in fact, dead. Daryl had found his way up behind Rick, who also was turning in every which way to stand guard and take down what needed to be.

As the group grew closer to the entrance of the building, the wretched and ghastly smell of the rotting bodies around them filled the air, making it almost impossible to breath. Darcy followed suit with everyone, her lungs closing causing her to cough, as well as her eyes watering from the horrid stench.

As Daryl inspected a sand-bag dome, used for cover for the army (which obviously didn't suit them any good), Darcy caught up to him and stopped walking as she waited.

"Looks like you were right." Daryl said, turning around and showing her a strong face. She could read his eyes though, disappointment. Just what she expected.

"All right, everybody. Keep moving. Go on." Shane whispered to them, causing Darcy to find her feet again and walk alongside her friend. "Stay quiet. Let's go."

Darcy leaned backwards and over to the right side of Daryl as she reached for his red handkerchief that he clearly wasn't going to use, yanking it from his right back pocket. He turned towards her and gave her a slight smirk as she held it up to cover her mouth and nose.

Darcy shrugged it off as she walked over to Carl, who was separated from Lori, who hadn't seem to notice he wasn't by her side. (Where's Carl?) She put a gentle hand on his back and he looked up to her and gave her a small smile, hiding his worry before moving along with her.

As they grew closer to the building, the chatter from the group picked up. Darcy could make out Rick telling them to 'keep moving,' and Shane's constant 'let's go.'

Daryl looked over at Darcy and beckoned her over, she quickly caught up to Lori and put Carl's hand in hers before she moved along side of him. Lori looked up with watering eyes from the sting of the rotten air, and she whispered a 'thank you' and gave her a relieved sigh.

"I'll take right, you go left." Daryl whispered, holding onto her arm as he looked around. Something wasn't right here, and they all could feel it.

Darcy quickly jogged over to the outer edge of the group, bow raised and hastily moving her feet. The adrenaline that came from her fear rushed through her veins, and she would constantly look over at Daryl who acted the same. They met eyes every so often, giving a signal they hadn't seen anything yet.

They had finally made it to the doors, but they were closed from the world by a sliver gate. Rick rustled with the lock, but nothing came loose.

"Nothing?" Shane asked, breathing heavily before Rick shook his head 'no.' Shane put his back against the door and pushed with his feet, a desperate attempt to try and lift the steel frame from its place.

"There's nobody here." T-Dog said, saying only what was on everyone's mind.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick said, panting.

"WALKERS!" Daryl yelled, and Darcy quickly ran over to his side, aiming her bow on the oncoming few of them. Her ears were filled with the sounds of guns cocking and both Sophia and Carl's panicking whimpers.

Daryl took a few steps forward, shooting his crossbow at the first walker, catching it between it's eyes and falling to the ground.

"You led us into a graveyard!" He yelled.

"He made a call!" Dale yelled in protest.

"It was the wrong damn call! Darcy told ya this was a dead end!" Daryl approached Rick, but Darcy caught up to him, standing in front of him and holding his forearm with a forceful grip and a stern look to lower his weapon.

Shane came up from behind her, yelling in a whisper and pointing aggressively at Daryl over Darcy. "Just shut up you hear me!? Shut up. Shut up!" Making him back off with the help of Darcy pushing him slightly. "Rick this is a dead end!"

"Where are we gonna go?" Carol cried out.

"Do you hear me?" Shane approached Rick who was still trying to process the closed doors shunning them from safety. "No blame."

"Rick, we have to move now!" Darcy yelled, turning away from Daryl with one final push and looking at the frantic leader.

"She's right we can't be here this close to the city after dark." Lori said.

"Fort Benning, Rick – still an option." Shane said, distraught.

"Oh what? No food, no fuel. That's 100 miles. Darcy was right about this place, who's to say she isn't right about that?" Andrea shook her head.

"125. I checked the map." Glen said out frantically.

Darcy rolled her eyes and approached Rick, "It doesn't matter who was right or wrong we need a plan and we need it now."

"She's right, forget Fort Benning. We need answers tonight, _now_." Lori raised her voice.

Rick raised his hand, "We'll think of something."

"We need to get out of here." Darcy shook her head, turning towards Shane, "We need to move."

"Okay, let's go. Come on!" Shane directed the group, who all turned into a panic-stricken state and started to move towards the cars once more. "Everybody back to the cars."

"The camera – it moved!" Rick said in a hoarse tone.

The group stopped in their tracks, silence over took them and blended in with their surroundings. "You imagined it." Dale said with his rifle raised.

"It moved." Rick stated more calmly, approaching the door once more and staring into the camera directly. "It moved."

"Rick, it is dead, man." Shane addressed him. "It's an automated device. It's gears, okay? They're just winding down. Now come on!" Shane tried grabbing Rick's shoulder but Rick pressed on. "Man, come on will you just listen to me? Look around this place it's _dead_ alright? It's dead. You need to let it go, Rick!"

Rick shoved his friend away, pounding on the doors with an angry and desperate fist, ignoring that his wife was now screaming at him that there was no one there.

"I _know_ you're in there. I know you can hear me. Please, we're desperate. Please help us, we have women, children! No food, hardly any gas left!" Rick stared at the camera, yelling, pleading. Lori stood in front of him and pushed on his chest, trying to pull him away.

"We have no were else to go! If you don't let us in, you're killing us!" Rick screamed from the bottom of his lungs 'please' before Shane wrapped his arm around both of Rick's shoulders and pulled him away from the camera, but Rick refused to let it go. "You're killing us! You're killing us!"

With a final push, and a defeated leader, Rick was forced away from the hope he had set his final refuge on. He let out a last yell, "You're killing us!" before the metal screech of the un-opened doors finally gave way, and the bright light emitting from inside shone upon the group.

Darcy's eyes were wide, and ringing filled her ears as she felt the slight cool breeze of the air conditioned building, calming her every nerve. The group shielded their eyes, but Darcy took a solid few steps forward towards the door all before Daryl placed another firm arm across her chest to get her to stop, and to wait.

"Daryl, Darcy, you cover the back!" Shane called out, making the two hunters to turn without hesitation towards the streets with weapons aimed.

Rick raised his rifle, "Hello?" He called out.

As the group huddled inside the main area, it was hollow, and even just the sound of their breaths were echoing off the walls around them. They finally heard the sound of a gun cock, and Darcy turned towards a lone man with a weapon raised.

"Anybody infected?" He called out from far away across the room.

Rick answered honestly, "One of our group was. He didn't make it."

The man took a few hesitant steps forward, "Why are you here? What do you want?" He rushed his words, and it made the group feel uneasy.

Rick breathed quickly, "A chance."

"That's asking an awful lot these days." The man said, moving forward again.

Rick gave a nod, "I know."

The man looked at everyone in the group who held the same scared expression as he did. They were asking for a chance, just as Rick said, and the tears in some of their eyes reflected just how much they were risking on the situation.

"You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission." The man said.

"We can do that." Rick said.

The man finally lowered his gun, "You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes," The main pointed at the doorway, "It stays closed."

As the group turned around the grab their things, Daryl stopped Darcy on the way out with another firm arm. "I got it. You stay here, just 'n case." He gave her beckoning towards the stranger, and she returned it with an understanding nod.

Within seconds, the men had run out and grabbed the groups' belongings and sprinting towards safety again and inside. Without caution, the man spoke into a security key-pad, "VI, seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here."

Darcy whipped her head around, watching and listening to the loud rattling and clanging of the solid metal doors shut, shielding them from the outside. As she listened to the man talk to this so called 'Vi,' she was relieved to know he wasn't the only one in the building.

"Dr. Edwin Jenner." The man introduced himself, still keeping an eye on everyone throughout the room. "Follow me to the elevators. We can't be up here once the power's off."

As the group huddled inside, Darcy took her place next to Daryl. He still had his gun raised, and she took this time to let her eyes wander over his arms and his chest as he held it steady in his hands. The woman inside of her bit her lip lightly, smirking at how handsome the redneck actually was.

"What?" His raspy voice suddenly broke her trance.

She shrugged, playing it off like she hadn't been caught checking him out, "Nothing. Just never seen you with a gun before."

Daryl smirked, "Yeah ya have. Back when you 'n Glenn got kidnapped."

Darcy tilted her head and laughed at the ground, "I don't usually pay that much attention when I have a gag in my mouth and a gun pointed at me."

Daryl let out a slight laugh, making Darcy smile before he looked over at the Doctor. "Doctors always go around packin' heat like that?"

Dr. Jenner faced him in the cramped elevator, "There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself." He looked around the group once more. "But you look harmless enough. Except _you_" he pointed at Carl, "I'll have to keep my eye on you."

As the Doctor chuckled at his corny joke, Darcy dropped her head and smiled at his attempt to lighten the mood. She felt a slight nudge from Daryl's elbow, and she looked up at him who smirked at her and shook his head lightly in amusement.

With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and the group followed the wary Doctor out and into the white halls of the C.D.C.

"Are we underground?" Carol asked.

"Are you claustrophobic?" He asked in return.

"A little."

"Try not to think about it." There was her answer. He didn't seem to provide any compassion for the woman's fear, mostly because they all knew there was so much more things to be afraid of nowadays.

They were lead to a large darkened room, and the closer they got to it, the slower Darcy's footsteps became. Her heart was confused, and it felt like a hollowed hole in her chest. Where was everyone? Where was Vi?

"Vi, bring up the lights in the big room." Dr. Jenner called out. The room filled with computer monitors and a large screen encircled the group as the lights were called on.

Jenner dropped his head, "Welcome to Zone 5."

Rick shook his head, and Darcy suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, knowing full well what she was about to hear. She brought herself up against a wall as Daryl noticed she wasn't next to him anymore. He gave her a wondering expression as she met his eyes and Dr. Jenner continued.

"Where is everybody?" Rick asked. "The other doctors, the staff?"

Dr. Jenner stood in the center of the large room, "I'm it. It's just me here."

Daryl looked towards Jenner then back at Darcy, who's eyes were slowly growing red and watery with every work spoken. She didn't tare her eyes away from his as he observed her, and it was only then that Daryl understood that Darcy was truly right about this place. And although Darcy had always figured this place was a dead end, she never _really_ realized it until now.

Darcy had hoped she was wrong from the beginning about this place, for once she would enjoy the phrase, 'I told you so' being shot at her face. She thought about her family, her friends, even her old friend Jasper as she played their deaths over and over again. All this time, she had hoped they hadn't died in vain, and yet she stood with the man who was supposed to solve all of their problems, who held no solution. She knew now there wouldn't have been a hope for them even if they had survived up till now. It was only a dead end, an erupting nightmare worse than before.

"What about the person you were speaking with?" Lori asked, "Vi?"

"Vi, say hello to our guests. Tell them – welcome." Jenner stared at the group, knowing fully well they would be greatly disappointed with him being the only safe haven left for, well, everyone.

The computerized woman's voice overtook the room, "Hello, guests. Welcome."

"I'm all that's left." Jenner spoke. In those words, Darcy tore her eyes away from Daryl's, refusing to let him see her in such a state. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and breathed heavily, regaining her composure and making that the end of her moment of weakness. Daryl watched her as she put her bow over her shoulder and put her hands on her hips, waiting for Dr. Jenner to pass by her as he made his way out of the room.

"I'm sorry." Was all the Doctor said as passed her, referring to the group but looking awkwardly at her while he spoke. He turned around to face everyone then, a hand brought up to the back of his neck, "I can take you all through here and into another room for the blood samples." He slapped his arms down at his sides. "Might as well get it over with."

"What's the point? If we were infected we'd all be running a fever." Andrea complained, sitting down in the chair after the group followed Dr. Jenner into the next room.

Dr. Jenner sighed, taking out a syringe and poking it at her skin, "I've already broken every rule in the book letting you in here."

"Show me one person who actually _cares_ about those rules these days." Darcy mumbled, crossing her arms across her chest while standing at the father edge of the room.

The Doctor glanced over at her with sympathetic eyes, "Let me just at least be thorough." The band on Andrea's arm snapped, giving way and Dr. Jenner removed the needle. "There. All done."

Andrea stood with a grunt, and Jacqui came over to help the woman to her feet. She stumbled, and her face went abnormally pale.

"Are you okay?" Jenner asked.

Jacqui answered for her, "She hasn't eaten in days. None of us have."

Jenner scanned the group, looking at the weak and bruised battered bodies of them all. The starvation was clear to him on their faces, all pale even though the dirt clearly covered their skin. Their eyes held a fragile sense of structure, and Dr. Jenner nodded his head before removing his gloves.

"Let's get ya'll something to eat then, huh?" He said, clearing out of the room once more for the group to follow.

As Darcy went to move in front of Daryl to get to the doorway after everyone else had gone, he gently grabbed her arm. "Hey." He said in a quiet raspy voice, something she grew to quite enjoy hearing. She stopped, and turned her head slightly with an exhausted look towards him. "Ya gonna be alright?"

A smile twitched at the corner of her mouth as she nodded "Just tired."

Daryl beckoned his head towards the door, "Well come on, let's get som'in' to eat. Get som'in' in ya."

"I hope there's alcohol." Darcy moaned, and Daryl couldn't help but let out a laugh. He let go of her arm and stood close next to her, watching her readjust her bow as she took a few steps forward and out the door.

He glanced at his shuffling feet then back to the door where Darcy just disappeared. As he did, Daryl couldn't stop himself from forming a playful smile across his lips, wondering exactly what kind of woman was underneath her strong and enticing exterior.

-

Daryl sauntered through the halls of the abandoned building, waving a whiskey bottle in his right hand nonchalantly as the liquid made a 'swishing' sound inside the glass carafe.

_Numbness._ That's all what he wanted to feel as he took another swig of the strong drink, letting it burn his throat with eagerness and ignorance. It slid down smoothly after, making him grit his teeth and breath heavily once it was swallowed.

The realization of what the truth actually was didn't come as only a shock to Darcy, but it had struck him hard as well. Daryl could only think about survival at this point, and whether or not it was truly worth it. His thoughts also wandered to his brother, and as he put up a weak arm against the wall beside him, he closed his eyes to try and believe that Merle was still alright, still alive.

Daryl let his mind re-wind back to dinner, where Dr. Jenner had graciously given him and the group food, not to mention the stash of alcohol that was currently being drowned out by each and every one of them.

Laughter. That's all he could remember besides the comfortable atmosphere that the close-knit group had formed over the few weeks. Daryl kept his eyes closed and shook his head, remembering he was sitting on the counter across from Darcy who sat at the table with everyone else. She hadn't known it yet, but she was apart of their family. Of _his_ family, since they were all he had left now.

Daryl pushed his back against the wall, re-hearing the conversation that Shane insisted on having which killed the entire ambiance of relaxing and having a good time at dinner.

_"So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, Doc?" Shane stared at his almost-empty wine glass, the third he downed in only a few minutes. His voice was empty, as were his eyes. "All the – the other doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what happened, where are they?"_

"This is why we're here right?" Shane asked the group after an interruption from Rick. "This was your move – supposed to find all the answers and instead, uh, we found him." Shane pointed at the Doctor, giving a few weak laughs to show how annoyed he actually was. "Found one man. Why?"

"Well, when things got bad," Jenner started, "A lot of people just left, went off to be with their families. And when things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted."

"Every last one?" Shane asked.

"No, many couldn't face walking out the door." The Doctor stared down Shane, "They…opted out. There was a rash of suicides." He became quiet, "That was a bad time."

"You didn't leave." Andrea tried, "Why?"

"I just kept working, hoping to do some good."

Daryl sat against the ground with his legs and feet outstretched in front of him, thinking about it over and over again until the sound of the shower from a few doors down suddenly turned on. He looked up, seeing the sudden mist of steam emitting from the doorway, and he figured the person hadn't realized the door was left open.

Curiosity, or just the mere buzz of the alcohol forced him up and walk down the hallway towards the crack opening of the door, which led into the bathroom the group had showered in earlier that evening.

It was the best news they had heard: warm water = hot showers for each of them.

Daryl slowed his footsteps, tilting around the corner and peering inside the misty room. His heart stopped, seeing Darcy's back to him as she felt the water with her slim fingers. She pulled her hair up in a messy bun, letting the shorter loose curls drop wherever they may without concern.

Daryl knew he had to look away, but he couldn't. His eyes were planted on her hands as they moved down towards the edge of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head. As Darcy let it fall to the ground with ease, she stepped out of her jeans carefully, and Daryl let his eyes wander over her body, taking in how perfect she actually was.

Her shoulders were toned and slim, as well as the rest of her body. The Georgia sun had tanned her porcelain skin, and all Daryl wanted to do was roam his hands over her to feel every inch of her body.

With the sound of the water falling down, his heartbeat loud in his ears, and the ache that formed throughout his body towards this woman, Daryl held out a shaky hand and reached for the silver metal of the doorknob blocking his way to her.


	8. Serenity

**Serenity**

Darcy let the comforting hot water flow onto her shoulders as she sighed out a laugh, taking in the serenity of a small aspect of their previous lives. She'd glance at her feet, pale and worn from constantly wearing her old boots, wriggling them in complete bliss. She brought up her fingertips and watched the fast droplets of water bounce off of them and fall onto the glass wall of the shower, wondering when the next time she'd be able to see such a beautiful sight.

She bit her bottom lip, preventing her from screaming out in her excitement. The giddiness inside her was too much for her to handle, even in the midst of finding out what Jenner had told them to be the truth of what was happening. Darcy knew deep inside that knowing the truth was just a phase she and the rest of the group would have to mourn over, before finally setting a firm foot down to try and survive anyway, to try and find answers from other sources if that's what it took. There was no way in hell she'd give up that easily, and from what she'd seen of the group already, they wouldn't have it either.

Darcy reached up and untied her loose bun, letting her hair fall to her shoulders and down her bare back, shaking her head back and forth and turning around to let the water splash against her face. The automated soap dispensers next to her didn't bother her at all, since this was as close as it was going to get to civilization.

A sudden 'click' of the bathroom door behind her made her jump. Whipping around and staring at the closed door, she wondered if it was overlooked by being slightly open before. The kind person who did close it however, was still standing on the outside with their back leaning up against it and a whiskey bottle in hand, unbeknownst to Darcy as she simply stared a little while longer before turning back to her relaxing state.

Although she wanted, more than anything, to just stand there in complete euphoria for the rest of her life, Darcy knew she had to catch up with the rest of the group and share the shower like everybody else. More than that, get a restful nights' sleep.

Darcy slowly stepped out, wrapping a towel around her body and snuggled close to it's cleanliness. She got dressed in her undergarments, and kept her dirty clothes on the floor for the time being as she walked over to the mirror, anticipating the possible horror that might appear from her reflection.

Darcy breathed quietly as she took a solid hand and swiped a streak through the misty mirror, only to see tired and defeated eyes staring straight back at her. She was happy to see the dirty was finally gone, and her complexion was just as it used to be. Darcy's face was thinner, as she expected, but it showed her strength and determination even though her hope was slowly diminishing.

She ran her fingers over her exposed collar bones, sighing as she knew there was nothing she could do about how thin she was compared to her old life. Darcy was always a fit girl, and her toned muscles showed that still, but it would only be a matter of time before the stress of this life, as well as not being able to eat would rot that all away.

Darcy took her time preparing herself to finally emerge from the comfort of the bathroom as she fixed her hair and towel dried it, as Jenner told them not to use anything that drew power; meaning no blow-dryer. She also made sure that _every_ speck of dirt was gone, wanting to take full advantage of the amount of soap available to her.

Finally, Darcy walked over with a gloomy expression, knowing the clothes on the floor were the only ones she had. As she got re-dressed in the filthy attire, she made a mental note to try and scavenge anything she could next time the group passed an abandoned house or vehicle. Darcy left her socks and boots off though, and walked over to the sink to at least wash one item of clothing. After all, comfy, clean socks would make any situation better.

Scrubbing the filth out of them, Darcy grabbed her boots and held the socks out at a distance to not get herself wet and quickly walked over to the room she claimed as hers, hanging them over the couch's arms to dry. Darcy enjoyed being barefoot more than anything.

"Ya need som' new clothes." A raspy tired country voice whispered out, making Darcy jump slightly even though she immediately knew who it was.

She glanced over her shoulder to the sulky figure on the edge of one of the side tables, "Didn't even see you."

Daryl shrugged and sipped on his whiskey which was almost gone. "Feelin' any better?" He stood up and walked towards her.

Darcy was finally content with the placement of her socks and turned to face Daryl, who was slightly less than a foot away from her. While he shifted his weight to one foot, she nodded and put her hands on her hips, "I'll be fine – I mean, we're all dealing with the same thing." She shuffled her feet, "Just gotta keep doing what we're doing until we do find something. You?"

Daryl looked at his feet then back up at her again, "I'm doin' okay."

Darcy laughed, "I can tell by that empty bottle." She pointed.

"It's not _empty_." He smirked.

Darcy didn't hesitate as she raised an eyebrow and took a small step forward, narrowing the gap between the two further as she reached out and took the bottle from his hands. With one swig, she had downed the rest of the sharp whiskey.

Darcy handed the bottle back to him with a sly look, "Now it is."

"You sure ya can hold it down?" Daryl asked, his eyes could not tare away from her now wet, pink lips.

"I'll be just fine." Darcy nodded with confidence. With every movement, Daryl kept his vision locked on her mouth as she spoke, enjoying the flow of words emitting from it and how alluring she actually was.

Daryl took another step forward, causing Darcy to look straight up at him as he was a decent size taller than she was. The gap was narrowing quickly, and Darcy's eyes showed amusement as they met his stony blue ones, and Daryl was all but trying to stifle his kid-like grin.

Taking a breath and holding her gaze, Daryl returned the small smirk, reaching a steady hand out and _slowly_ wrapping it around hers that held the empty glass bottle. Daryl let their touch linger for a moment before grasping the neck of the flask and pulling it back from her. The sensation of feeling their warm skin against each other's made their heart beat loudly in their ears, and their bodies ached towards one another yet no one made a move.

Darcy smiled playfully at Daryl, but was admittedly growing fond of his new friendliness with her. "You can borrow some of my clothes if ya'd like." He mumbled.

Darcy let her eyes dart to the corner of the room in thought, any clothes would be better to sleep in than the ones she had on now. "Thanks." She said, nodding her head.

"Be right back." He said, before turning around and stepping out the door before reappearing immediately with a long-sleeved red plaid shirt for her to wear. Daryl handed it to her awkwardly, slightly hesitant and blushing.

Darcy smiled at him again and took the shirt thankfully. They both stood for a moment as Daryl still stared at her while putting his hands in his pockets. Darcy pursed her lips and looked around the room awkwardly.

"I'm not going to let you watch me change." She whispered.

Daryl went a little wide-eyed before blushing even more and taking a step back, "Oh, no, I wasn' gonna I just-"

"Hey you two, it's getting late – heading to bed soon?" Carol's soothing voice called out from the doorway, interrupting the stuttering sentences of an uncomfortable and bashful Daryl.

He simply turned his head towards her and gave a quick 'nod' while Darcy nodded and smiled at the woman, "In a minute, goodnight Carol."

When Darcy spoke, Daryl turned back to face her. This gave Carol time to catch Darcy's eye and give her an all-knowing 'wink' at the two of them. Darcy tried to hide her blushing smile by rolling her eyes, and turned to look at the ground as the woman disappeared.

Daryl reached up to the back of his head and scratched his neck, "I guess I'll see ya tomorrow then."

Darcy nodded and quietly spoke, "Yeah. And thanks again." She held up the shirt.

Daryl nodded in a kid-like way, before fiddling with his fingers and walking slowly away from the woman. Before reaching the doorway, he stopped and shuffled on his feet, whispering a raspy 'good-night' and giving a smile again in her direction.

As he shut the door, Darcy held the soft fabric in her hands before slipping off her dirty clothes and replacing them with it. The instant scent of what was Daryl Dixon filled her nostrils, giving her an image of a fireplace but still held a hint of cologne, even after all this time.

Darcy's inner child slightly squealed as she let the long sleeves fall over her fingertips, bringing them up to her nose and taking in his smell. She felt completely at ease and at peace in this moment, realizing she now had a different kind of family to hold on to, that even though Jenner had explained there was nothing left, she would keep fighting to survive and care for this small group.

Darcy caught herself though, knowing full-well that getting in too deep of a relationship or a connection with anyone in the group would be fatal. The ending result would only cause aches and pain one could not nearly describe well enough.

Darcy knew that it was only a matter of time before those she cared about were gone, but she tossed that thought away instantly, focusing on the good: they were safe and sound in an underground facility with food, water, and companionship. How long it would all last was another question – but Darcy wouldn't let herself fall for this man, nor anyone, so easily. She couldn't face the destruction of her own heart if they were lost.

Deciding not to worry, the woman climbed into her make-shift bed on the couch as the housing facilities were without power (as Jenner explained to them before), and shut off the florescent light. Wrapping herself in the stale, yet most comfortable sheets and blankets in her life, she smiled to herself inside the redneck's shirt and quickly dozed off.

-

"Don't ever ever ever let me drink again." Darcy heard the all-too familiar groan of her friend Glenn, as she walked through the entrance to the kitchen while scratching her head and giving a slight yawn.

She let out a sincere laugh and the group looked up to welcome her to the table. "Eggs? Made 'em all nice and good." T-Dog joked, handing her a plate and slapping a good heaping of the powdered eggs on her plate.

"Thanks." She smiled, walking over to the counter with the coffee pots and propping herself up, perfectly content with not eating at the table.

"Need these honey?" Lori raised her hand and tossed a bottle of pills over towards her. Darcy caught them effortlessly before reading the bottle. Just a little ibuprofen to help with the hangovers.

She shook her head, "No, but Glenn sure looks like he needs 'em." Darcy laughed again and Jacqui rubbed his back while turning around and smiling at her.

"He's already had his share." She giggled.

"Hey." Shane said, walking in the room. Darcy looked up and Shane gave her a slight nod.

"Holy shit." She whispered as he walked by, noticing the large scratch marks on the side of his neck. No one had heard her, but Shane gave her a knowing-look to keep it that way. "What happened?"

"You feel as bad as I do?" Rick asked him from the table.

Shane looked at Darcy, "Worse."

T-Dog walked over to set down the skillet of eggs, also noticing Shane's marks but failed to keep as quiet as Darcy. "The hell happened to you?" He asked. "Your neck?"

Shane sighed, sitting down at the table. "I must've done it in my sleep."

"Never seen you do that before." Rick said.

"Me either."

There it was, the quick shot towards Lori with Shane's eyes over the rim of his Styrofoam cup before looking down at his plate again. Darcy shuffled her eyes back and forth between the two of them so fast it had stopped her chewing on her breakfast.

"Not like me at all."

"Mornin'." Daryl mumbled, taking a coffee cup next to her.

She glanced up at him and he read her face. Darcy then diverted her eyes towards Shane and Lori before Daryl nodded, "I know."

"Does anybody else?" Darcy asked, looking towards Rick.

"Nah, they don't know about me knowin' either. Just stumbled on 'em one day, must've forgotten I went for a hunt."

Darcy dropped her fork. "Gross."

"It was rough." He smirked, rubbing his forehead slightly. "Haven't been drunk in a long time."

Darcy put her plate down next to her and grabbed the bottle of pills Lori had thrown to her. "Here." She handed them to Daryl. "There's eggs and bacon over there."

He held the bottle in his hands and glanced up at her quickly, giving her a nod in thanks and grabbing a plate to help himself.

"Morning." Dr. Jenner walked into the room, receiving the groups' 'hello's'.

Dale immediately spoke up after a quick nod from Andrea. "Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing-"

"But you will anyway." He responded.

"We didn't come here for the eggs." Andrea sputtered out, causing everyone to look in her direction with a slight glare.

Jenner nodded and shrugged his shoulders, "I'll have to show you, but you'll be disappointed. There's not much I have."

Rick spoke up, "We're just looking for anything."

"Alright. When you're finished just follow me back to the big room again." Jenner nodded.

After breakfast, they all did exactly what they were told. They entered the big room, and waited for answers they knew would be vague, or none at all.

Jenner didn't hesitate and called out to VI, "Give me playback of TS-19." As the computerized voice repeated his orders, the large television screen appeared and loaded the data set.

"Few people ever got a chance to see this." Jenner said. "Very few."

-

Darcy let out a deep breath and closed her eyes, resting her hands on the top of her head as she took a seat. Daryl had his arms crossed and was pacing back and forth as the rest of the group stared at the screen with disbelief.

"VI power down the main screen and the workstations." Dr. Jenner called out.

"You have no idea what it is, do you?" Andrea mumbled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal…"

"Or the wrath of God?" Jacqui answered.

"Then there's that." Jenner said sarcastically.

"Somebody must know something. Somebody, somewhere." Andrea's tone grew angry and frustrated with the lack of answers she was getting, and who could blame her?

"There are others, right? Other facilities?" Carol asked.

"There may be some. People like me."

Rick jumped, "You don't know? How could you not know?"

"Everything went down. Communications, directives – all of it. I've been in the dark for almost a month."

"So it's not just here. There's nothing left anywhere? Nothing?" Andrea spoke. "That's what you're really saying, right?"

Silence.

"Man I'm 'ma get shitfaced drunk…again." Daryl put his hands up to his face before beginning to pace again and bringing himself to rest his arms on the monitor Darcy was sitting at, who was just merely trying to think of where they would go next with their options so far open now.

"Dr. Jenner, I know this has been taxing for you and I hate to ask one more question, but…" Dale walked over to the side of the room and pointed at a red clock. "That clock – it's counting down. What happens at zero?"

"The basement generators – they run out of fuel." Jenner answered, walking away as if to say it was no big deal.

"And then?" Rick asked, not receiving an answer. "VI, what happens when the power runs out?"

_"When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur."_ The robotic voice answered.

Darcy shot up and headed over to Rick, noticing the Doctor had disappeared for the time being. "We need to get down to the basement and see these generators, maybe there's some fuel left –"

"He just said there wasn't." Andrea said, infuriated and well-past accepting their dire situation.

"I'm sorry, do you have a better idea?" Darcy snapped, narrowing her eyes down at the blonde and getting a scoff in return.

"Do we even know what _decontamination_ means?" Glenn asked.

Shane piped up, "She's right, let's get down there and see what exactly it is where dealing with. T-Dog, Glenn, you're coming with us. The rest of ya'll just stay put."

As the four of them ran down to the basement, the rest of the group headed back to their rooms except for Darcy and Daryl, who stayed put in the main room.

Daryl stayed rested his elbows on top of the monitor Darcy previously sat at while she paced back and forth running through the countless possibilities of what 'decontamination' meant. She tapped her fingers on the side of her thighs, coming into contact with her pistol occasionally.

"What're ya thinkin'?" Daryl asked, looking at the girl in deep thought.

Darcy stopped and put her hands on her hips, "This is a disease facility." She pointed.

Daryl scoffed, "Took ya that long to figure it out?"

"No," She waved him off with her hand. "There's only one way that is a certified way of decontaminating a facility or, or one of their experimental rooms."

Daryl stood up, "What is it?"

A sudden click distracted the two as the lights suddenly went dimmer and the cool steady breeze of the air conditioner stopped. Jenner was now seen completely dressed in his work uniform, and it caught the attention of the rest of the group who suddenly followed after him.

"Why is the air off?" Carol asked. "And the lights in our room?"

"What's going on? Why'd everythin' turn off?" Daryl asked.

"Energy use is being prioritized." Jenner said.

"Air isn't a priority? And lights?" Dale asked.

"It's not up to me," Jenner said, shaking his head and continuing on. "Zone 5 is shutting itself down."

"Hey! Hey, what the hell does that mean?" Daryl yelled. "Hey, man, I'm talkin' to you." The power whirred down further as the group walked with Jenner, who seemed to be completely un-phased by what was going on around him.

Finally, Rick and the rest caught up to the group, "Jenner, what's happening?" He asked.

"The system is dropping all the nonessential uses of power." Jenner answered. "It's designed to keep the computers running to the last possible second. That started as we approached the half-hour mark."

Jenner finally stopped, and took a swig of whatever was in the glass bottle Darcy just noticed he was carrying. Daryl caught up to him, and snatched it from his hands, demanding answers.

"It was the French. They were the last ones to hold out as far as I know. While our people were bolting out the doors and committing suicide in the hallways, they stayed in the labs till the end. They thought they were close to a solution."

Darcy's head was in a whirl, suddenly blocking out everything around her until Rick began to shout. "Grab your stuff, we're getting out of here _now!_"

An alarm started blaring through the deserted halls. There was only 30 minutes until decontamination.


	9. Topside

**Topside**

It had all finally caught up to her, the alarm blaring throughout the halls and vacant rooms of the CVC, signaling to the world it would not be able to discover a cure for this madness. It released a chaos, causing everyone to twist and turn each way, bumping into each other and everything around them, desperate to understand what was happening.

The CVC was not at all what it had seemed to be, what once was a newly found haven was a ticking time bomb ready to go as soon as the time of the clock on the wall reached zero.

It all happened so fast, more than any even that Darcy could ever remember in her entire life. The screams, the doors closing, the panic. The Doctor, the one who had intended to lock them all in there from the start, the one who just wanted a simpler death for everyone there, was now dead inside that building with one of their own.

_"Did you just lock us in?" Glenn panicked, looking back and forth from the Doctor to the doors. With no answer, Glenn yelled, "He just locked us in!"_

The words hit Darcy's ears slowly, and she turned and saw Daryl facing her across the room with a look of fear yet pure anger emitting from his sharp features. She watched as his eyes darted to Jenner with rage, running over to him and grabbing the Doctor from his collar, demanding him to open the doors.

Shane took off as soon as Darcy had, running over to Daryl and pulling his grip off from the Doctor, who all but seemed unwilling to even care. Shane grabbed Daryl by his waist as Darcy snatched the whisky bottled out of his hands and tossed it to the side of the room, hearing the sound of breaking glass as it did.

With her hands on her hips and not daring to look back at Daryl, she directed her stance towards the Doctor, "Open that door now." She gritted her teeth.

"It won't make a difference." He calmly said.

Rick stepped forward, "Open the door."

"There's no point! Everything topside is locked down. The emergency exists are sealed."

"Well, open the damn things!" Dale yelled.

Jenner started to get frustrated, "That's not something I control, the computers do."

Darcy took a step forward and pointed at the key card next to him, "But you can control these doors in here – open them."

He shook his head, "I told you once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again. You heard me say that."

"If we had known about this we wouldn't have bothered!" Darcy yelled.

"It's better this way." Jenner said.

"What is?" Rick snapped, looking at the clock. "What happens in 28 minutes?"

"GO GO GO!" Rick screamed, leading the group and sprinting through the parking lot and towards the vehicles. The corpses staggered towards them in the commotion, making Daryl turn towards them mid-run and fire the shattered bullet fragments of a shotgun in their skull.

Darcy's heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears, looking down at her worn out brown leather watch as she had timed it with the clock in the lab. As the seconds grew nearer to zero all sounds faded out from her mind, and only the ticking of what time was left taunted her.

Darcy passed the RV as half of the group climbed inside and took cover, only to hear the shouts of Rick to "get down."

"Dale! Get down!" Darcy heard Lori scream, which meant that Dale had managed to get Andrea out alive and to safety, but Jacqui was still inside.

_"Let us keep trying as long as we can." Lori cried._

The Doctor shook his head, but not in agreement, only finally seeing the argument of the underlying hope that the group was essentially fighting for and reached over to open the heavy metal doors. "I told you, topside's locked down. I can't open those."

A chance of survival once again sparked the hearts of the group as they ran towards the opening without hesitation. Darcy held back though, noticing Jacqui hadn't budged or cracked a sigh of relief as the rest.

"Darcy, let's go!" Daryl yelled from the opening, waving for her to move forward.

"Hey! We've got four minutes left, come on!" Glenn screamed her way, and Darcy started to move her feet once T-Dog had ran down to get Jacqui.

"Let's go! Let's go." He pulled her forward, but she protested.

"No no, I'm staying!" Jacqui ripped herself from his grasp. "I'm staying, sweetie."

Darcy stopped by Glenn, as Carl snatched her hand for comfort and she looked back at Jacqui once more, feeling Daryl's eyes burning into her back.

"But that's insane!" T-Dog grabbed her once more, but Jacqui pulled away again.

"No, it's completely sane! For the first time in a long time. I'm not ending up like Jim and Amy." She looked at T-Dog. "There's not time to argue and no point…"

Daryl couldn't wait anymore, grabbing Darcy's hand with force and pulling her along side him into the hallways and topside with the others.

Darcy turned, caught up in the moment to see Dale and Andrea dive to the ground before feeling an arm around her waist that began to lift her up. As she was thrown along the worn seat of Daryl's old pick-up truck, the blistering breeze of the explosion whipped through her hair and on her skin. She covered her face with her elbow, writhing herself into the soft leather as much as she could before feeling the weight of Daryl dive on top of her, his face nuzzling into her neck and his hand holding her wrist as they both closed their eyes and waited for it to all be over.

With the sounds of the explosion slowly fading, the truck became stuffy and hot only a moment later, and even with the door still flung wide open the immense heat ceased to stop even through it's smoke. Darcy's ears were ringing, one hand clutching the seat and the other firmly grasping Daryl's collar, knuckles white.

Darcy felt the weight of Daryl's head lift up slowly and she soon followed suit, even though everything inside of her was telling her to stay hidden and just rest, to stay with her eyes shut tight and safe. Darcy merely was seen glancing around her only to find herself hidden in Daryl's truck and tucked safe away in his arms, there was some comfort after all. They both sat up, Daryl having a tight grip on the steering wheel and staring at the fragments of what was left of the building while slowly edging his fingertips away from Darcy's hand he held previously.

Darcy let her chest rise and fall heavily, eyes still wide and slightly burning from the immense heat of the explosion, just trying to catch her breath. She looked back to Shane in his jeep who held the same expression as she did and he nodded towards her saying he was okay.

The air was quiet; it had been as if time had suddenly stopped after that point, even after the increasing tension and suspense. Darcy quickly was in an impatient mood to leave the area, knowing fully well that every walker miles out was bound to be heading their way.

Daryl picked up on it with no second thought, turning the truck's keys and pressing on the gas slightly to motion up ahead they should get moving. Darcy glanced at him, her mouth slightly ajar, and reached out a steady hand when something bugged her.

Daryl looked panicked all of a sudden, watching her and flinched slightly. Darcy tilted her head, pulling her hand back lightly to let him know she wasn't going to hurt him and simply flattened the bit of his collar she had held before.

The feeling of her touch sent a different kind of sensation throughout his body, enjoying the comfort she emitted without trying. Darcy chose not to ask why he flinched, as she knew it was none of her business. He nodded at her and she returned it, the same nod that showed how the two communicated with each other.

Darcy leaned back and looked forward at the sight again, but Daryl kept his eyes on her and scanned her messy locks that fell in her face as well as the dirt that was back in it's place on her features. She still looked as beautiful as ever to him, and he secretly kept it to himself as he found himself doing more and more each day. Throughout all the madness he kept his eye on her, making sure she was behind him the whole time, making sure she was safe.

A slight honk on the horn from Shane behind them made Daryl jump, causing him to cough and turn forward again, noticing the rest of the group had started to leave the area. Darcy turned towards the window, putting her hand over her mouth to hide her smirk. She was starting to pick up on the small things Daryl would do around her and she was regrettably beginning to enjoy it.

After trying so hard to stay strong and not dig a relationship too deep with this group, Darcy found herself holding onto each and every one of them in a matter of days. It scared her, knowing the person next to her would be the closest, her best friend to come. It scared her that one day they might all be gone and she would be all alone.

_I can't think that way anymore. Things are different._ She thought. And Darcy was right, Rick had finally brought it to life for her back in the lab and it might as well be so simple now.

_"That's all we want – a choice, a chance."_He said. Darcy wanted the choice to care for these people, and the chance to do it before it was too late.

-

They followed the group without wondering where they were leading them to, knowing somewhere in the back of their minds they were attempting to reach Fort Benning.

"Ain't gonna make it." Daryl's voice fainted out, causing Darcy to snap out of her thoughts. She leaned over, checking the gas meter and sighed.

"Damn." Darcy leaned back into her seat. "We'll probably scrounge from some cars along the way, set up camp for a night…God, I just can't believe he was going to lock us in there." She pushed her hair back and sighed heavily, the anxiety of a time limit being placed on her life came into realization and flooded her mind.

"Made it out, no use thinkin' bout it any more." Daryl told her, shaking his head and not taking his eyes of the road.

Darcy picked up one of the sharper arrows of her set and leaned back against the seat, propping one of her feet up on the dashboard as they continued along the road with the RV in the lead. Within a few minutes, Daryl spoke up again and nodded on the side of Darcy's window.

"Walkers." His tone was serious, but not worried as the lifeless bodies wobbled their way in the opposite direction towards the remains of the CVC.

"The blast probably caught their attention." Darcy mumbled, picking at the tip of her arrow, trying not to watch them pass by. The first corpse to move was a woman, just a second or more before the others caught Darcy's eye.

"Ain't gonna be stopping anytime soon then – dozens of 'em out here." Daryl grunted, scanning the woods where they came in numbers sauntering out behind the trees.

"Bet Shane's regretting taking the top off of his jeep right about now." Darcy let out a laugh, causing Daryl to smirk and look back in his rear-view mirror, noticing Shane seemed a little more crouched in his Wrangler than usual.

Daryl laughed slightly before focusing back on the road, but it didn't take too long for Darcy to catch his eye again. He looked at her playing with her arrow as she looked out the window, and he was desperate to try and get to know this woman, no matter how much of a hard ass he played.

"Where'd ya learn to shoot?" He asked.

Darcy let out a sigh, "A little from my uncle, mostly from being alone for those few weeks." She laughed and looked at him, "Had plenty of practice."

Daryl nodded, and looked back towards the road. "What happened to him?"

There was a man suddenly, face mottled and webbed with blackened veins just like the rest of the herd. He moved slowly, crouched and limp behind the others. Unlike the rest, he had his gaze on the vehicles, tilting his head ever so slightly while still walking the opposite way. His jaw dropped, showing the rotten teeth and decaying flesh around his lips.

"Slow down." She sat up, and Daryl gave her a confused look.

"What?" He tried looking out the window to see what she was looking at only to have passed the walker.

Darcy turned and faced Daryl, "Jim."

-

Smoke released from the RV, something that grew to be inevitable at least once during a long travel. Darcy sat cross-legged in the truck head held in her hands, too tired to even bother gathering with the few who surrounded the nuisance.

Rick held his hat on the side of his hip, "Looks like it happened just in time, we're running low on gas."

Daryl nodded and bobbed his head back at the truck, "Us too."

Dale slapped his sides, "Well, there are plenty of cars around. We can find some left and just rest up for the night. What do you say?"

Shane glanced at Rick while leaning on the RV, "Sounds like a good idea. We all could use the rest." He raised his head to make sure what he was going to say was true, "Haven't seen any geeks for miles, might be okay staying here."

Daryl nodded before turning around and walking back to his truck. He opened his side slowly, making Darcy turn her head and sigh. "Campin' here for the night." He mumbled, giving her the okay to get out and walk around to meet him at the truck's bed.

There was an abandoned house across the street, and Darcy could just make out the outline of what she hoped was human,slowly moving around inside.

"Daryl." She said, nodding her head in the direction and hearing the wooden floorboards creek under the person's weight. Darcy squinted her eyes slightly, giving a curious glance to Daryl before setting down the camping gear she held back into the truck and walking over, bow in hand.

Her footsteps were solid, and she just heard the quickened pace of Daryl to catch up with her. "Ay!" Daryl called to the others, getting Rick's attention.

"Shane, stay here and keep watch?" Rick called back, getting the familiar nod from his friend.

Rick took lead, pulling out his pistol and stepping up the stairs quietly while Darcy took the left and Daryl took the right. Rick positioned himself sideways facing the doorknob, noticing it was opened already by just a slither.

He put up a slender finger to his mouth before reaching out slowly towards the knob. It creaked open as he pushed it with his hand, moving quickly inside before the two hunters followed suit.

It was quiet as the three scanned the first floor. It was a disaster, everything thrown about in undoubtedly a panic state as the owners' must of packed as quickly as possible. The couch was knocked over, blood spattered on the white cushions. The television was on it's side, showing their reflection as they moved about the room with ease. Wallpaper was torn and shredded with bullet holes covering the bit that remained on the walls.

Darcy moved into the kitchen, lowering her weapon slightly since she hadn't seen or heard anything yet. The men rummaged upstairs and Darcy could hear them going through the rooms one by one, checking every nook possible for danger or even supplies.

Darcy walked over to the sink, opening the white cupboards that were slightly dangling from their hinges. She moved quickly to the drawers, and found a large hunter's knife and wondered who would ever leave it behind.

When she knelt down and tucked it in the side of her boot, she heard a small creak from the other side of the room. It was dark in the corner, and she could just make out a cold gray hand that hung limply out of the shadow.

Darcy raised her bow instinctively, hearing the grunt of the corpse as it took a wobbly step forward. It was a child, a little girl. She had brown hair and a flowered pink dress that was torn at the seams. It hit Darcy like a wave, she seemed so familiar to her, of someone who she lost when this chaos began.

Darcy hesitated, lowering her bow slightly as the girl's eyes remained locked on her like a predatory beast. She took another step out, and Darcy noticed the bound marks on her wrists as if someone tried to tie her down. The skin was rubbed off raw, and Darcy could almost see bone.

Darcy's mind was blank as the small body snapped its jaws and raised its arms, lurching for Darcy. She retreated several paces back slowly, barely breathing as an arrow was suddenly shot through the girl's skull. The body crippled to the floor, and Darcy looked up with an unresponsive face towards Daryl. He had his crossbow in his hands, just lowered from taking the shot. He stared at her, eyes scrunched in confusion and almost irritation that she didn't kill the girl to start.

Darcy didn't say anything, but looked at the lifeless body on the floor before walking past Daryl and out of the house with a quickened pace, just brushing his shoulder as she did.

He didn't say anything but just let her go as Rick came down the stairs and met with him. Rick nodded towards the body. "Darcy find that one?"

Daryl nodded and cleared his throat, still watching Darcy as she walked across the street. "Yeah."

"Then this place is clear. We can stay here for the night." Rick said, patting Daryl's shoulder and walking out the door with his hand on his holster.

When Rick was gone, Daryl turned around and looked at the body as he shifted his weight on his feet, wondering what about that little girl made Darcy pull back.


	10. Dead in the Water

**Dead in the Water**

Darcy stood along side the road as look-out while the others scrambled to the cars around them, trying to gather supplies and fuel for the start of their journey towards Fort Benning. She glanced back and forth between them and the road while tapping anxiously with arrow on the side of her leg and shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

It was a hotter day than usual, most likely because she had adapted to the air conditioning back at the CDC with such ease. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, letting the shorter waves fall and frame her porcelain face. The sweat that dripped from the back of her neck continued to stain her white shirt which was growing bigger, and dirtier, on her as the days passed.

What the hell was I thinking. Darcy thought, shaking her head and sighing heavily, annoyed with no one but herself. I swear to God if this ever happens again I'm going to remember to pack.

Darcy looked towards the group again, catching sight of Daryl as he pulled the motorcycle from the back of his truck and rolled it down to the soft grass. Daryl removed the tarp and folded it before shoving it in his bag beside him strapped to the bike. It would come in handy one day. Darcy watched his movements blissfully before he stopped and her eyes snapped to his. He stared at her, buckling the strap tight and standing up wiping his hands on his pants.

Darcy blinked, turning her gaze away and taking a few steps out towards the road to shake off his sense. It had been two mornings since they raided that abandoned house and it wasn't on accident that Darcy was keeping her distance from Daryl, expecting him to ask her about what exactly happened with the little girl. Darcy could tell that he knew, he didn't press or approach her, he kept his distance like it was normal.

"Girl, let's go!" Shane bobbed his head in her direction and motioned to her that they were about ready to leave the site with a wave of his arm.

Darcy jogged over, hearing the crunching of the dried leaves and rocks beneath her boots. Daryl watched her as he climbed over onto his bike and she grabbed Glenn's hand when she reached the RV's stairs and was pulled inside.

The group was down to three vehicles now; the RV, the station wagon, and Daryl's bike. With fuel being scarce, it was decided to ditch the gas guzzlers and try and cramp everyone into what they thought was necessary to keep. It had turned out for the better, as Darcy didn't know what she would do if it was just her and Daryl in the truck by themselves.

Darcy pulled herself into the seat by the kitchen table and next to Andrea who sulked against the window, still on edge about the CDC. Shane sat opposite of them, immediately taking out his pistol and taking it apart to clean its pieces.

Glenn dropped himself in the passenger seat while Dale turned the keys at the wheel, and pulled out the large road map which would eventually lead them to a hopeful Fort Benning. He started marking the path with a black pen so he wouldn't lose his place and find a simple way there.

"125 miles." He sighed. "It's gonna be a long trip."

"We'll have to make stops along the way, those cars did nothing for fuel." Dale said, jolting the RV forward. "And this thing is practically dead in the water. It'll most likely need fixing at some point."

Darcy heard the roar of Daryl's motorcycle as it revved up and past the RV, showing the group the way out of the outskirts of Atlanta in no time. Clearing the city, she stood up and headed to the back and stood across from T-Dog who slouched on the bed with his head knelt up against the window.

"You okay?" She asked, referring to Jacqui.

T-Dog sighed heavily and sat up to look at her. "Just sucks being alone now."

Darcy scrunched up her face, not understanding. "You aren't alone."

"Oh, come on Darcy. I've got no ties to this group – got no family, any friends before this shit happened…I've got a redneck with a target on my back.." T-Dog laughed.

Darcy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "And me? I've got no ties here either."

T-Dog scoffed, "Did you hear me mention the redneck?"

She took a seat and smirked, "What you think we just held hands and skipped around in a field of flowers first thing?" T-Dog breathed out a laugh.

"But now?" T-Dog tilted his head. "Now, you're all buddy-buddy."

"We get along. Just like with you, or anybody else." Darcy shrugged, her voice was soft.

T-Dog pointed. "You and him have some weird thing going on and you jus' got here." He sulked. "I mean, I don't care - do you. But I'm the black guy who's just an outcast. Do you know what happens to the black guy in scary movies? They die."

"This isn't a movie." Darcy retorted. "This is a show based off a comic book and I'm just a made up character in Jane's mind because she wants Daryl to have a lover."

"What?" T-Dog asked, completely bewildered.

"I don't know." Darcy waved a hand and shook her head. "Just came to me. But the point is you are a part of this group. We all need you just like we need Rick, Daryl, Shane, anybody. Okay?" She stood up, holding out her hand.

T-Dog slowly nodded his head, "Okay." He took her hand, pulling himself up and standing with her to go and join the others. Before reaching the table, they were again jolted forward as the RV suddenly slowed.

"Oh jeez." Dale sighed, looking around their surroundings and seeing the mass pile-up of cars both on the interstate, and on the grass beside it. "Aw, no."

Shane stood up, and Darcy walked up behind Glenn and crouched to see out the front window. There were cars tipped over everywhere, including a semi that lay across the road blocking their path. Glenn sighed, frustrated like the others and scanned the map as Daryl turned around and approached the driver side of the RV.

"See a way through?" Dale called over to him. Daryl looked back at the mess of cars, nodding and turning around again to try and find a way around it.

"Uh, maybe we should just go back." Glenn looked at Dale, "There's an interstate bypass-"

"We can't spare the fuel." Dale cut him off, turning the wheel tightly to zigzag in and out of the cars. For a few minutes they were able to wedge their way through while scanning the vehicles that held the deceased bodies of the car owners, some of which were hanging out of the windows and limbs waving limply in the Georgia breeze.

"Can we get through here?" Glenn asked as they faced the lines of cars with no way to edge the RV through given it's width.

Then, the inevitable happened once more with an all too familiar shot of the RV's front engine. It sputtered and screeched at them, causing Daryl to jump and look back at the RV and receive an agitated expression from Dale who began to pull the vehicle over.

Dale got up, pushing past everyone with his eyebrows together in irritation, throwing the door open and walking over to the front of his trailer.

"I said it. Didn't I say it? A thousand times. Dead in the water." Dale wined.

The group followed the old man to the front of the RV while Shane just smirked at Darcy as she pointed sarcastically to all the cars which clearly held the answer to their problem.

"Problem, Dale?" Shane said, carrying his shotgun nodding towards the vehicles in front of them.

"Just a small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of-" Dale turned around, "Oh. Well, that was dumb."

Darcy held on to the railing outside the door of the RV as she half hung her body out of it to see what was going on. She immediately knew this was her opportunity to gather some supplies of her own and most likely get new clothes.

Darcy jumped out, landing on her feet with ease as she walked past Shane to a small black car and began to rummage through it patiently. They had all the time in the world because she knew Dale would take his time finding the right hose to scavenge.

A hand reached in next to her, and she wasn't at all surprised to find Daryl rooting along side of her. She suddenly missed his company, and she felt completely at ease with him next to her.

"If you can't find a radiator hose here..." Shane said.

"There's a whole bunch of stuff we can find." The raspy voice sent chills down Darcy's spine, and it was by sheer happenstance that they both turned their heads to look at each other at the same time. He nodded, and she slowly returned it before moving along to another car.

"I can siphon more fuel from these cars for a start." T-Dog said, and Darcy shot him a small smile as he nodded his head towards her.

"Maybe some water." Carol said. "Food."

"This is a graveyard." Lori said. Darcy tossed a picture frame down and turned to look at her with a heavy sigh. "I don't know how I feel about this."

Darcy put her hands on her hips and patiently told her, "We need the supplies. Anything we can scrounge." Darcy said, turning back around, "And I need new clothes." Lori glanced at her, seeing that she was right. Darcy was absolutely covered in stains from dirt to blood head to toe.

"You do smell." Shane joked. "Like rotten fruit or somethin'." Darcy whipped around with her lips in a wide smile before throwing a heavy book she found in the car towards him.

He dodged it and smirked. "Come on, ya'll. Just look around." Shane called out. "Gather what you can."

While everyone spread out every which way, Daryl found his way to Darcy's side again. "Looks like you 'n Shane are getting' along." A certain tone was added to his voice.

Darcy shot a glare at him but decided to ignore his comment. There wasn't anything going on between her and Shane and Daryl knew that out of all people. It was a shock that he reacted that way though when joking around with another person of the group. Daryl must have been bitter about her keeping her distance the past day or so and finally started to show it.

Darcy walked slowly through the cars before turning and fighting back, "Because a guy who sleeps with his best friend's wife is something I look for in a man."

Daryl watched her walk away behind the RV and out of sight. He threw one of the photos he had in his hands back in the car, instantly regretting saying something he knew wasn't true. Daryl didn't even want to know why he said it, he was still trying to fight these feelings towards Darcy and refused to let that be the reason why he seemed jealous of her giving attention to someone who wasn't him.

-

Darcy was looking in the windows of each car to see if there was anything of interest she could scavenge. She made her way over to the other side of the RV, where no one seemed to be looking at the moment, a bit bitter towards Daryl for his unnecessary remark.

Darcy grabbed hold of the door of a white SUV, hearing the click of the handle but having to forcefully pull the door open to hop in on the passenger's side. She opened the glove-box and found a handheld flashlight. She clicked it on and off again, shining the light on the dashboard to make sure it worked before setting it aside for later.

Finding nothing else inside the glove-box, Darcy slammed it shut and reached over to search the pockets of the dead driver beside her. At his feet, she saw a worn-out canvas satchel and snatched it, bringing it to her lap and rummaging through it. Finding nothing of interest, she dumped it's contents to the side and threw the flashlight she had found earlier inside. At least she was off to a good start. Peering into the back seat she didn't find much, but a bundle of rope that may come in handy one day so she grabbed it and put it in her bag.

Darcy hopped out, slamming the door shut and moving on to another car beside it. In the front seat were two middle-aged women, dead, with several bags in the back seat. Darcy sighed in relief, knowing this would be her chance to get some clothes. She quickly flung the door open and zipped open the suitcases. It was an entire closet ready for the taking, with other lady supplies that were extremely necessary.

Darcy packed what she could, and was so desperate to get into clean clothes that she started to undo her laces on her brown boots. Tossing aside her socks, she put the new ones on and immediately felt the hot asphalt of the interstate against the soles of her feet. She glanced around quickly, making sure no one was by, and pulled off her jeans and her panties before frantically putting on a new pair of each.

She slipped on her boots again to tuck her jeans into them and her socks, knowing they would get torn up if she didn't. She re-holstered her 9mm and took her bow off her back. Darcy then reached in and pulled out the rope, keeping it in it's bundle, and strapped it to her left thigh just in case her bag was lost. Darcy then pulled out a black razor-back tank top, it was loose and longer than a regular one so it was more comfortable and wouldn't stick to her as she'd sweat.

Before she put it on, Darcy walked over to the side of the RV to get some kind of cover just in case someone came by. She slid off her torn and destroyed white t-shirt and threw it on the ground next to her. She quickly changed her bra as she found one that surprisingly could fit her after just searching through one car.

As Darcy fumbled with the ends of the tank top, she heard a flustered cough. "Oh-s-sorry."

She looked up, seeing Daryl lowering his eyes and diverting them away from her in all different directions, but couldn't help but look at her between them.

"You can turn around." Darcy said quietly.

"S-sorry." He mumbled again, whipping himself around and facing the other direction. As Darcy watched him carefully, she let the soft fabric fall over her shoulders and cover her body, relieved she had on new clean clothes.

Darcy bent over to grab the bag but stopped when Daryl spoke, "You're mad at me." It wasn't a question and he said it in a quiet tone. Darcy sighed as she stood back up to reply.

"No."

Daryl heard her feet move and slowly turned around to see if she was done changing. He shifted on his feet as he talked to her, picking at his fingers.

"Seem to be." Daryl let his eyes wash over her, admiring her beauty. Her hair was still propped up in a messy bun, her eyes glinting in the sun, clothes clean and complimenting her features perfectly. His breath got caught inside his throat for just a moment as he wondered how on earth someone could be so captivating at the end of the world.

She shrugged, "Just didn't want to talk about it. 'Bout what happened."

"I didn't ask." Daryl smiled slightly taking a step forward, and Darcy did too while she nodded and let her gaze fall to the ground. "I'm sorry 'bout what I said back there. Don' know why I said it."

Darcy nodded at him, picking up the strap of the bag and laying it across her body before doing the same with her arrows. She shrugged her shoulders, "It's fine."

Daryl took another step forward and nodded to her bag. "D'ya find anythin' good?"

Darcy went to move past him to grab her bow when a sudden movement behind Daryl caught her eye. She stopped, staring at the menacing figure making it's way towards them with five more appearing out of nowhere behind it. Darcy stood there paralyzed, wanting to run but at the same time wanting to know for sure what she was seeing was true.

Darcy's eyes were beginning to adjust to the growing numbers of rotten flesh eaters heading her way when Daryl followed her blank stare. He didn't hesitate, pulling her with him and pushing her down to the ground to edge her to take cover underneath a car.

Darcy lay on her stomach, breathing heavily as Daryl scooted in beside her, crossbow laying on the ground next to him. He laid on his back, reaching an arm over to her to make sure she was okay. Darcy had her forehead resting on the ground and her eyes closed, unmoving in the slightest.

It wasn't until the soft movements of footsteps surrounded them that she raised her head slowly, looking in front of her and seeing the gray staggering legs walking past them, unbeknownst that the two were even there.

Darcy could hear the groaning above them, and turned to the left to see if there were any that happened to learn how to crawl.

"Shit." She whispered harshly turning to face Daryl. He compressed his eyebrows together and tried to see past her, noticing that T-Dog held his arm and was bleeding out profusely, desperate to find somewhere to hide.

"Stay here." Daryl rolled out underneath the car when there was a small gap of the herd, and Darcy watched as he went to T-Dog's rescue.

When Daryl killed a walker about to attack T-Dog, he pulled the body onto him and turned to catch Darcy's stare. He put up a finger and motioned for her to stay quiet as he pulled a lifeless body out of the car next to him, lying down on the ground and placing it on top of him to cover his scent.

Darcy hid her face in the gravel once more, tightly squeezing her eyes and trying to block out all the sounds around her. She was waiting for one to fall, to stumble, to look over and see her lying there helpless and then attack.

Darcy could probably out run them, no she definitely could out run them. The living dead were slow and easy to out run or even out walk if she really tried. She had infinite options, there was plenty of road and she could even go into the woods.

The woods, Darcy missed being hidden in them. Back when it seemed so much simpler. Although she remembered her first day by herself: weak, sitting in a corner, crying, nursing her cuts and scrapes. How she managed to come out so strong was beyond her knowledge or ability to comprehend.

A hand wrapped around Darcy's wrist suddenly, and without hesitation she pulled out her gun and cocked it aiming at whoever it was that was threatening her. Darcy hadn't even lifted her head yet and was ready to pull the trigger.

When the hand pulled away however, she did turn her head slightly only to see Daryl kneeling over and looking at her with his hands raised in defense. Darcy sighed, re-holstering her gun and graciously taking the hand that was offered to her and was pulled out from under the car.

"Stay quiet." Daryl whispered in her ear, wrapping his arm around Darcy's shoulder and guiding her in the way the group was gathered, but she broke away from him first to snatch her bow.

The group stood by the guardrail, and Lori was holding Carol as the woman wept. Below them, Rick stumbled out of the woods and out of breath, half his white shirt was smeared with blood. "Did Sophia make it back okay?" He asked, panting.

Carol let out a cry, "She's still out there? My baby is still out there!?"

"Two walkers went after Sophia, and Rick followed them into the woods." Glenn whispered to Darcy and Daryl.

"Don't worry, I'm going back in after her." Rick held up a hand to Carol, trying to tell her that it was going to be okay. "Daryl, Darcy, I need you to help me find her."

Shane spoke up, "I'll come too."

"Me too." Glenn stepped forward.

"Alright let's go." Rick said, turning back into the woods.

The four of them hopped down over the rail and down the hill, keeping at a quiet jog to meet up with Rick. About a half mile out, he eventually lead them to a creek with a tree's roots sticking out and making a little cave.

Rick pointed to it while he stood in the water, "I left her right _here_."


	11. Without A Paddle

"Ya sure this is the spot?"

Daryl knelt over the side of the mud-bank, holding onto the roots of the trees that hung limply over the tiny cave Sophia was last seen.

Rick said again, "I left her right here." He pointed. "I drew the walkers way off in that direction up the creek."

"Without a paddle—seems where we've landed." Daryl said.

"She was gone by the time I got back here. I figured she just took off and ran back to the group."

Darcy stood by Glenn up and out of the creek, looking down at the mess of leaves and searching for any sign for her to track Sophia. Darcy wasn't as experienced at being a tracker than Daryl, but any skill was favorable here.

"Couldn't have gotten far then." She mumbled. "You told her to stay put?"

"I told her go that way," Rick pointed at the small path, "And keep the sun on her left shoulder."

Daryl made his way through the knee-deep mud water and crouched over the small path, proceeding to look around just as Darcy was approached by Glenn.

"You don't think there may have been more than just two walkers do you?" He asked quietly.

Darcy sighed and shook her head, "No, I'm not seeing any other footprints besides the two…"

"Hey, short round, why don't you step off to one side? You're mucking up the trail." Daryl called out, making Glenn hang his head as he always seemed to be yelled at for being in the way.

Darcy sighed and patted Glenn on the shoulder, "You were fine." She reassured him, getting a quick forced smile in return.

"Assuming she knows her left from her right." Shane spoke up, referring back to what Rick told Sophia to do.

"Shane, she understood me fine." Rick snapped, growing frustrated.

"Kid's tired and scared, man. She had her a close call with two walkers. Gotta wonder how much of what ya said stuck." Shane said, trying to be compassionate but at the same time realistic.

"Wait." Darcy pointed with her bow at the ground which made Daryl scoot to where she was pointing.

"Got clear prints right here." Daryl looked up at Darcy and nodded before looking back at Rick. "She did like you said, headed back to the highway. Let's spread out, make our way back." Darcy reached out a hand towards Daryl, not taking eyes of the small footprints left behind by Sophia and helped pull him up out of the bank.

As she moved away his hand lingered, and Darcy looked back at Daryl thinking something was wrong but he then quickly dropped her hand and moved passed her when he realized what he was doing. It made Darcy stop for a moment, a confused expression and a small matter of her heart skipping a beat as she watched Daryl's back when he continued to move forward.

She got a pat on the back suddenly from Shane, "Hey girl, let's go."

Daryl lead the group with Darcy following off to the side in case there was anything they might not see directly by looking at the prints. Daryl crouched to one knee, making the rest stop and wait for what he was seeing. "She was doing just fine till right here. All she had to do was keep going." He pointed to the wide right. "She veered off that way."

"Why would she do that?" Glenn asked.

"Maybe she saw something that spooked her, made her run off." Shane said, looking off into the trees where Daryl pointed.

"A walker?"

Daryl shook his head, "I don't see any other footprints. Just hers. Darcy you see anythin'?"

The group looked to her who stood exactly in the area where something had to have come from in order to scare Sophia like it did.

Darcy sighed and stood up while shaking her head. "Nothing."

"So what do we do? All of us press on?" Shane asked.

Darcy walked over, "We'd be better with more people..."

"No, better if you and Glenn get back up to the highway. People are gonna start panicking." Rick said as Shane stood up, "Let them know we're on her trail doing everything we can. But most of all, keep everybody calm."

Shane nodded, "I'll keep 'em busy scavenging cars 'n think up a few other chores. I'll keep 'em occupied." He waved a hand, saying it was no big deal. He then motioned for Glenn to follow as Daryl stood up and continued to search out Sophia's trail.

"Darc," Daryl called out. "Stay wide like you're doin' in case we miss anythin'. Any other footprints or somethin' like that."

"Sure." She said, taking a few steps to the left outwards from him and Rick and looking up, seeing a walker immediately.

Darcy raised her bow and shot without saying anything, an arrow straight to the side of it's ear. The body fell, causing the two men to look in her direction.

"Would…?" Rick started.

"No," Darcy shook her head, cutting his question. "It's too far out from her trail and heading the wrong way. Would've kept going for her, picked up her scent." She nodded.

Daryl nodded towards Rick, and it was enough for them to keep moving. They moved their way slowly and quietly through the forest, keeping on edge and feeling nothing but the sweat that dripped from their faces and the callouses forming on their hands. Darcy continued to stay to the outside until the two men stopped.

"Tracks are gone." Rick whispered.

"No. They're faint, but they ain't gone." Daryl said, crouching down again and pointing with one of his own arrows. "She came through here."

"How can you tell? I don't see anything. Dirt, grass."

"You wanna lesson in tracking or you want to find that girl and get our ass off that interstate?" Daryl replied, making Darcy stifle a laugh and bite her lip as she continued to move forward.

Darcy only caught sight of Rick raising an eyebrow in her direction, which made her smile more. When she looked down to the floor of the forest again, her smile instantly dropped as she saw a much larger set of footprints staggering along side Sophia's.

Darcy whistled, getting their attention and Daryl stood up and looked to where she was pointing with her arrow. These new tracks were very different from the old. They were slower, closer together. The right foot was dragging, and the drag marks were sprinkled with the crimson red she knew immediately to be blood.

The rustling of the leaves caught their attention and they all hunched over the floor of the woods, shifting on both feet and keeping their eyes open for any movement. Daryl waved Darcy over and she moved her feet quickly, now kneeling along side the two as Rick began to point ahead of them.

Over a slight mound, they saw just the top of a walker's head as it bounced up and down with every step it took. It was grunting, loudly, and Darcy propped herself up to get a closer look to where it was headed. Looking down at the tracks and back to the walker, she knew it wasn't the one they were searching for.

The walker had stumbled right in front of their path, and Darcy saw a trail of blood that it was leaving behind. Right away she knew something was wrong, the way there was plenty of blood covering the face of the gray rotting flesh. It looked like it had been brought down by wild animals back when he was fully human, most likely attacked by other walkers. His belly was slightly torn but bulging out, and large bite wounds covered its flesh.

Darcy felt a tap on her knee, and she looked over to Daryl pointing her to go back wide while Rick went the other way. Darcy didn't hesitate and hastily moved over back to where she was and waited for Daryl's sign.

Darcy was granted the familiar nod and the adrenaline kicked in just as she wheeled around and carefully watched Rick go around the other side. A soft whistle told her to stop, and she saw Daryl take aim several feet away from her at the old man, he hand a bandage on his arm telling them that he must have reanimated not too long ago.

Daryl looked over to Darcy, pointing at his arrow and then making a spinning motion with his forefinger. She nodded, knowing that he meant if he missed, Darcy needed to take the shot.

Rick sprinted in front of the man, giving a loud whistle and getting its attention. The walker roared, making Darcy jump slightly in the bushes. It was the kind of yell that made your skin shiver and want to sulk back into any type of cover you could find. It was short though, as Daryl shot a perfect arrow through it's half broken skull.

Darcy climbed out, jogging over to her friends and keeping her hands set and ready on bow. Daryl put a foot on the mangled back, lifting his arrow out of rotten body and setting it back in his crossbow with a loud grunt.

Daryl looked around, "Sophia!" He called out.

Darcy rounded the body, taking a stand across from Rick and next to Daryl, watching Rick as he crouched down and pulled out gloves and knife.

Rick picked up the body's hand. "What're ya looking for?" Daryl asked.

"Skin under the fingernails." Rick said, flipping the body over so it was on it's back and looking into the mouth. "It fed recently."

Rick pried the mouth open, revealing a chunk of chewed flesh hanging from its mouth. Darcy puffed out her cheeks while she held her breath, putting her hands on her hips and watching with a scrunched up face.

Rick pulled out a small piece, "There's flesh caught in its teeth." He said, having the same face Darcy had and holding up the fraction of skin to show them.

Daryl, who seemed un-phased by the whole thing looked closer at it, "Yeah, what kind of flesh?"

Rick sighed, reaching for his knife again, "Only one way to know for sure." He grabbed hold of the decaying body and moved his hand towards the shirt, ripping it open and revealing the grey bump of it's stomach. Darcy noticed meat, chewed, pulped flesh bulging from its throat and belly.

Daryl stopped him, "Here, I'll do it." He stepped over the body and leaned over, pulling out his own much larger knife. "How many kills you skin and gut in your life? Anyway, mine's sharper."

With two hands Daryl held the knife over the body, giving Darcy a quick glance before bracing himself and plunging the knife into the top of it's chest, dragging the blade down to it's navel.

The smell hit Darcy's nose like a tidal wave, and she instantly brought her forearm up to cover he face. She looked to Rick, hoping he was showing signs of weakness too. He had his face in a squint and his breathing picked up. The sounds of the once human body being gutted twisted their stomachs, and the squishing and tearing of the muscles underneath the skin made them quiver.

Daryl took out the blade, but moved over to the left of his already deep cut and thrust the knife again into the body. Rick looked up at Darcy who was closing her eyes and shaking her head slowly, breathing deeply through her nose and out of her mouth to try and keep herself from throwing up.

Daryl glanced over at Rick, completely unbothered at the scene which almost made Darcy laugh it was so ridiculous. Finally, Daryl put the knife down and Darcy breathed heavily again, foolishly thinking it was over and they could go home.

"Now comes the bad part." Daryl whispered sitting on the body, digging his glove covered hands underneath it's skin and ripping out it's intestines. He dug searching through the body for the stomach, and Rick finally caved and gagged at the sight.

Darcy tilted her head up at the sky. "You are [i]so attractive[/i]." She muttered sarcastically, putting her hands on her hips and turning around facing the other direction because she couldn't take anymore of witnessing a body being torn apart.

Rick coughed a laugh and Daryl made a kid-like face in return, sarcastically laughing at her insult. He wiped the sweat away from his face and reached in the body once more, finally finding the stomach.

"Yeah, hoss had a big meal not long ago. I feel it in there." Daryl pulled out the stomach, placing it on the ground and looking up at Rick. "Here's the gut bag."

"I got this." Rick said, sticking his knife into the dismembered stomach and tearing it open, flicking the guts of whatever was inside on the forest floor. Darcy turned around with one eye closed and still panting from the smell. She saw Daryl pick up a tiny skull from the mess.

"This gross bastard had himself a woodchuck for lunch." Daryl muttered.

"At least we know." Rick said.

Daryl nodded and stood up. "At least we know."

Darcy rubbed the back of her head, "It's getting dark." She took a few steps to the side and looked up over the two back towards the highway. "Should be heading back."

"Pick it up at first light?" Rick turned to the two hunters.

Darcy nodded and gave a tired smile, "First light."

Rick turned, walking away to lead them all back to the highway with his pistol still ready in his hands. Darcy glanced at Daryl as they walked, and he looked back at her.

"You've got blood on your face." She mumbled pointing to his cheek. Daryl wiped it with the back of his hand but Darcy shook her head when he didn't get it.

"No right here." She pointed on her own face, but he missed it again and she sighed a laugh.

Darcy reached up and watched Daryl flinch for the second time, but she gave him a friendly raised brow as she softly wiped the spot with her thumb. He watched her eyes as she did this, glinting slightly as she licked her bottom lip in concentration. Daryl's eyes were drawn to her lips, the way she was now biting her bottom lip was driving him insane.

"Thanks." He muttered softly.

Darcy looked at her thumb and wiped the blood on his shirt. "No problem." Darcy showed a small smile with just her lips and they both turned again to follow Rick out of the woods.

Daryl gave a small chuckle towards her, and [i]accidentally[/i] brushed his hand against hers. This caught Darcy off guard as she looked down and then up at him again. When she saw his face it had turned a light shade of red, and he quickened his pace to hide it from her while quietly swearing to himself in the process.

For the second time that day she held her ground and watched him as he stumbled away, narrowing her eyes at his back not in an angered way, but confused and intrigued. And when the three finally reached the clearing that lead them to the road, she began to notice Daryl's tone had become more shy and awkward.

Darcy decided to hold back more then, being the third to emerge from the woods and look up to the now panicked faces of their group. They climbed up and over the rail as Carol paced back and forth whimpering.

"You didn't find her?" She looked at Rick.

"Her trail went cold. We'll pick it up again at first light." He stated.

"You can't leave my daughter out there on her own to spend the night alone in the woods."

Daryl helped Darcy over the rail, "Out in the dark's no good. We'd just be trippin' over ourselves. More people get lost." His voice was deep, completely sincere, almost heartbroken for this woman.

"But she's twelve! She can't be out there on her own." Carol said. "You didn't find anything?" Lori reached out and grabbed her shoulders, trying to calm her down as her voice cracked.

Rick raised his hands. "I know this is hard, but I'm asking you not to panic. We know she was out there."

"And we tracked her for a while." Daryl spoke up.

"We have to make this an organized effort." Rick said to the group. "Daryl and Darcy know the woods better than any of us. I've asked them to oversee this."

"Is-Is that blood?" Carol stuttered ignoring Rick and looking at Daryl's covered pants with the crimson shade. Daryl glanced down at himself, closing his eyes knowing she was expecting the worst.

"We took down a walker." Rick said, raising a hand again.

Carol started to hyperventilate. "Walker?" She paced. "Oh my God."

"There was no sign it was anywhere near Sophia." Rick said. Darcy threw a glance at Daryl remembering the tracks she found but he shook his head slightly as to reassure her not to say anything about it.

"How can you know that?" Andrea said, looking to all three of them.

Daryl turned to Rick who turned to Darcy before finally speaking, "We cut the sum'bitch open, made sure."

Carol's knees buckled as she grabbed the side of the railing. "Oh God." She sat down, breathing heavily while Lori sat beside her and rubbed her back. It gave Carol time to re-think everything that had happened earlier, and she sought out desperately someone to blame for her misfortune.

"How could you just leave her out there to begin with?" She flared up at Rick.

Darcy stepped forward, completely taken aback at her reaction and started to defend Rick, "Whoa, wait…remember who went after Sophia to begin with? Rick saved her, Carol."

"He left her." Carol told Darcy, narrowing her eyes.

"No, Carol..." Darcy took another step forward.

"Those two walkers were one us." Rick stuttered, trying to be patient with the woman. "I had to draw them off it was her best chance."

Darcy could see it in Rick's face, the incredible guilt overflowing his mind even though Darcy knew he did the best he could to save Sophia. He was, after all, the only one who didn't hesitate to run after the little girl in the first place.

"Sounds like he didn't have a choice, Carol." Shane interjected.

"How was she supposed to find her way back on her own?" Carol cried. "She's just a child."

Rick knelt down on the ground to look up at Carol. "It was my only option. The only choice I could make."

"I'm sure nobody doubts that." Shane said, sitting on the railing, trying to defend his brother-like friend.

The group looked onward, no one saying a thing as the woman wept. Rick kept his gaze on the ground, clearly fighting himself in his own mind whether he had made the best decision with Sophia.

"My little girl got left in the woods."


	12. Searching for God

"No."

"I'm askin' everyone to hand over their guns, Darcy. It's fair if you do too." Shane put his hands on his hips, tilting his head at her and raising a brow. Something he always did when the situation was serious.

Darcy turned around and took a few steps toward the police officer and kept her voice low, "We both know the reason why you're even asking." She jerked her head in Andrea's direction. "I'm not risking my safety for someone on suicide watch. No thanks to Dale."

Daryl smirked immediately when Darcy gave Shane her answer. He waited for her on the far edge of the road while he leaned against the truck, crossbow in hand and watching intently as Shane approached her.

"Do you even use it?" Shane scoffed.

"When necessary, yes." Darcy held onto her bow string slung across her chest as she tried to walk away again but was stopped abruptly when Shane wrapped his hand around her arm to get her attention.

Daryl jumped up from the truck quickly, taking a few slow steps and tilting his head as he eyed up Shane.

"Listen," Shane rubbed his face. "It's gonna cause a lot more problems if you don't hand it over. Now, I know you can handle it and I know you're smart, but this goes beyond just you."

Darcy sighed, pulling out her pistol from her holster. "Fine."

Shane nodded, "Much appreciated."

Darcy narrowed her eyes in a friendly way, knowing Shane was right. There was no need to cause unnecessary drama in a world already filled with so much chaos. She walked over to Daryl, twisting her hair into a side-braid as she did, letting the smaller layers that framed her face stay loose. Her bangs stuck slightly to her forehead as she wiped it away with the back of her hand to get rid of the sweat. The summer weather just kept beating down on her.

Darcy had joined Daryl just in time in front of the RV as Rick opened up a bag of hatchets and knives for everyone to take.

"Everybody takes a weapon." Rick said, standing back from the hood of the truck.

Darcy crossed her arms and turned around, seeing T-Dog resting against the RV in the shade and decided to join him. She noticed his eyes had gone darker with each blink, and he looked completely dazed.

"Hey." She smiled slightly.

"What's up." T-Dog forced to speak, and Darcy sighed.

She kept her voice low and stood in front of T-Dog to get his full attention. "When we're gone I want you to find some medicine for that." She nodded her head down towards his arm as she held it gently. "Please?"

"Alright." T-Dog nodded, no energy or health to argue otherwise.

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need." Andrea stepped forward. "What about the guns?"

"We've been over that." Shane called out, ignoring Darcy's 'I told you so' glance. "Daryl, Rick and I are carrying. We can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles."

"It's not the trees I'm worried about." Andrea retorted.

"Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, a herd happens to be passing by. See, then it's game over for all of us. So you need to get over it." Shane stood up, keeping a strong stare with Andrea and putting his pack over his shoulders.

When the argument seemed to be over, Daryl spoke up. "The idea is to take the creek up 'bout five miles, turn around 'n come back down the other side. Chances are she'll be by the creek." He nodded. "It's her only landmark."

"Stay quiet and stay sharp." Rick nodded his head. "Keep space between you but always stay within sight of each other."

With a slight smile, Darcy turned away from T-Dog and walked over to the hood of another truck to set down her small pack on top of it. She rustled through it, just to double-check she had everything she needed for the day as it would be a long one.

Darcy could hear footsteps approaching her, and she turned slightly to see Daryl carrying two water bottles in his hands. He tossed one to her and stood by as he watched her re-pack her things.

"Can ya stay wide again like before? Will do us some good I think." Daryl asked her quietly.

Darcy put the straps over her shoulders followed by her arrows. She nodded, "Who will cover the other side?" She asked.

Daryl took a slight step closer and shrugged, "Rick or Shane I'd reckon."

Darcy took a sip of her water, letting the warm but refreshing liquid flow down her throat. "You'll be in front leading then?"

Daryl nodded and watched her as she poured some water into her hand and rub the back of her neck with it. "Jus' stay close." He looked down at the ground, "So's I can keep an eye on ya."

Darcy glanced up at Daryl who still was avoiding her gaze. She smirked, "Just me then?"

Daryl looked up at her, beginning to re-track his words. "Just meant so we can communicate better," He shuffled his feet and shrugged. "Help ya if ya run into trouble."

Daryl's eyes met Darcy's again and she smiled slightly before nodding. "Okay."

In that moment, as Darcy's eyes shined brightly with her smile, it took every fiber in Daryl's being to not reach down and grab the sides of her face and kiss her. He was lost in his thoughts as his hands ached towards Darcy, who suddenly began to slowly walk away to join the rest of the group at the far edge of the road.

Daryl soon followed though, jogging up to meet up with Darcy who turned around and smiled at his presence. They both were about to past the last few sets of cars until the shakiness in Andrea's voice caught their ears. In fact, it had caught everyone's attention.

Dale and Andrea had been on edge with each other since Dale had "saved" Andrea from the explosion back at the CDC. Darcy hadn't minded Andrea's choice, nor did she judge her for it. Now, however, in the midst of creating more anxiety and tension for the group as a whole, Darcy grew frustrated with Andrea and her constant complaining more and more each day.

"And if I decided that I had nothing left to live for, who the hell are you to tell me otherwise? To force my hand like that?"

"I saved your life." Dale shook his head, confused as to why she was reacting out of anger instead of thanks.

"No, Dale. I saved yours. You forced that on me. I didn't want your blood on my hands and that is the [i]only[/i] reason I left that building. What did you expect? What, I'd have some kind of epiphany? Some life-affirming catharsis?"

Dale's voice got quieter. "Maybe just a little gratitude."

"Gratitude? I wanted to die my way, not torn apart by drooling freaks. That was my choice. You took that away from me, Dale."

"But-"

"But you know better?" Andrea cut him off. "All I wanted after my sister died was to get out of this endless horrific nightmare we live every day. I wasn't hurting anyone else. You took my choice away, Dale. And you expect gratitude?"

"I don't know what to say." Dale said.

"I'm not your little girl." Andrea stepped forward. "I'm not your wife, and I'm sure as hell not your problem. That's all there is to say."

With a final glance at the old man who was just trying to save everyone there, Andrea walked away without looking back. It signified the group's 'ok' to move forward with their search, and Darcy and Daryl didn't hesitate to turn and hop the railing as soon as the petty argument was over.

Darcy had noticed, though, that Daryl was looking at her when Dale had mentioned Andrea's sister. They were quiet as they began walking into the woods with the rest of the group not too far behind, but Darcy narrowed her eyes and looked at him, giving him the impression that she knew he was avoiding saying something.

Daryl sighed as he spoke in a whisper, "Was it your sister she reminded you of? Back in the house?" He avoided her stare, knowing full well she told him she didn't want to talk about it before.

Darcy sighed too, and shook her head. "No."

"Who then?" Darcy looked up at him, caught aback at his sudden directness. "Sometimes it's better to talk 'bout it." His voice was low and hoarse, something she had grown used to and something that also made her heart get caught in her throat.

Darcy took a hesitant step and she looked down at the ground when she answered. "My baby cousin."

"I'm sorry." Daryl said.

Darcy shrugged, "Sorry about your brother."

"He ain't dead."

"How can you be so sure?" She asked.

"It's Merle. He just ain't." Daryl stopped, turning back and waiting for the rest of the group to catch up. "Start goin' wide."

It was then that Darcy knew talking about Daryl's brother was still a touchy subject. Not wanting to push him more than he wanted to, mostly because she knew that if the conversation was reversed she wouldn't want to be bothered either, she dropped it.

Daryl nodded his head towards Darcy and she immediately pulled out an arrow and walked towards the outer edge of the group while Shane took rear and Rick took the opposite of her. They had formed a solid, confident perimeter with those four, and they kept quiet as they continued on for the look out for Sophia.

At the edge of the woods Darcy turned for one instant to survey the impasse the group hadn't seen yet, and it was a good chance they wouldn't. Darcy stood on a slight slope, and over the hill she saw several dead bodies that lie on the ground, most likely some of the people who had abandoned their cars but had no luck getting away quick enough.

Darcy continued walking until the blackened eyes of the bodies could no longer see her in the density of the woods. She slowed to a steady walk that she knew she could maintain while keeping a close eye on the path in front of her, searching for any sign of tracks.

For the next hour, Darcy stayed wide like she had been but still kept a safe distance from the group just in case any trouble came their way. She wondered if there had actually been a time where she used her gun recently, or if she would have to eventually.

Darcy was fond of her knife she found in the abandoned house a few days ago – it's a fine one with a long sharp blade, serrated near the handle, which would make it handy for sawing through things and reaching deep into a walker's brain – which was kept safe away tucked inside her boot.

The longer the group walked the easier it was for them to get lost in the evolving woods. The yellow buckeye trees were beginning to blend in with the others that Darcy hadn't recognized, or maybe she did, she just couldn't tell.

At one point, a rustling in the bushes next to her made her aim her bow at the ground and moving it back and forth to keep up with the quick steps of whatever it was, only to see a small rabbit cross her path.

Darcy heard the lurching of her stomach, growing sick of the small meals a squirrel could provide, before shooting the arrow through it's skull and picking it up by the ears. She heard a soft whistle, glancing over to Daryl and he bobbed his head to get her to go over to him.

"Lace this through, I'll carry it along." Daryl handed her a small rope, easy enough to fit through the place where it was hit with her arrow.

Rick had caught up to them then, moving over from his position wide like Darcy. "Are we seeing nothing then?" He put a hand on his hips and rubbed his sweaty face.

"I haven't picked up any tracks, maybe she didn't come this way." Darcy kept her eyes on her bunny as she laced the rope through and tied it together for Daryl to keep slung over his shoulder before handing it to him.

The three were out of Carol's ability to hear, and Daryl spoke up. "I ain't got a trace yet either. Gotta keep lookin'."

"Guys." Glenn spoke up from behind them, and he was pointing at something. Darcy's eyes followed the line of his finger up into the trees in front of them. At first, she had no idea what he was pointing to, but then, about twenty feet ahead, a faint grey and green tarp was flapping in the slight breeze. It was a tent.

"She could be in there." Shane said.

"Could be a whole bunch of things in there." Daryl retorted. He crouched down a little and raised his crossbow as he motioned for Darcy to stay next to him. Shane, however, didn't think it was such a good idea.

"Darcy, best you stay here and let us handle this." He stepped forward.

Darcy gave him a confused look, he had just told her that he knew she could handle herself, hell they'd all seen it themselves.

Daryl turned to face Shane and spoke up before she had a chance, "She stays with me." He faced the tent again, "Work better with her then all ya'll. Anyway, her bow's quieter than that gun you've been carryin'."

Darcy smiled at Daryl, and he faintly returned it before standing up and walking quietly towards the tent with Rick not too far behind. Daryl motioned for Darcy once more to go to the right side of the tent as he pulled out his knife and raised it up while Rick and Shane stayed back.

The two trackers tried to peer inside, seeing nothing moving or making a sound. Daryl shrugged back at the two officers, and Darcy aimed her bow at the slight opening of the tent. Daryl made himself ready with his knife and they both waited for Rick's signal.

Rick motioned for Carol, and the rest of the group stayed farther back. "Call out softly. If she's in there, yours is the first voice she should hear."

"Sophia, sweetie, are you in there?" Carol called out gently. Daryl and Darcy kept their eyes locked on each other, ready for whatever was coming out of that tent. "Sophia, it's mommy. Sophia, we're all here, baby. It's mommy."

When there was no answer, Rick and Shane stepped forward and Daryl unzipped the tent slowly as to not make a sound. Darcy positioned herself better towards the opening and Daryl nodded at her before moving the flap away and looking inside.

Darcy immediately saw the unmoving corpse and pulled her elbow up to cover her face from the decaying smell of flesh. Rick and Shane backed away, but she waited for Daryl to come out of the tent.

"Daryl?" Carol called out. "Daryl?"

Finally, he stepped out. "It ain't her."

"What's in there?" Andrea asked.

"Some guy. Did what Jenner said. Opted out." Daryl slung his crossbow over his shoulder. "Ain't that what he called it?"

Suddenly, Darcy and the others whipped around at the sound of church bells ringing in the distance. They circled, trying to figure out which direction the sound was coming from before the four fighters all pointed in the same way and began sprinting towards the bells.

"Which direction?" Shane said, as they stopped a little farther down. They came to an opening, and Darcy realized they could following an echo instead of the actual source.

"I think that way, I'm pretty sure." Rick pointed.

"Damn, it's hard to tell out here." Shane panted.

"If we heard them, maybe Sophia did too." Carol said.

"Someone's ringing those bells, maybe calling others." Glenn spoke up.

Andrea stepped forward, "Or signaling they found her."

Rick moved in the direction he pointed, "She could be ringing them herself. C'mon!"

Darcy was beginning to quicken her pace to keep up when a hand grabbed hers. She looked behind her, seeing Daryl who didn't break eye contact as he slipped his hand away but left something behind. Darcy looked down, seeing a small pistol in her hand and glanced back up towards the silhouette of Daryl, who now was running along with the others.

As she holstered the gun on the side of her thigh where hers was missing, she continued to watch him as they reached a more obvious opening away from the trees and into a graveyard surrounding a small white chapel.

Darcy thought what Shane said, "That can't be it. Got no steeple, no bells." But Rick continued anyways, even after his friend called after him.

They all followed, sprinting and avoiding the graves around them before finally reaching the few steps that lead up and inside the church. Rick didn't hesitate signaling Daryl beside him, pushing open the red door and revealing a small room filled with only three sitting walkers, waiting for any meals to wander inside.

As Shane, Rick, and Daryl ventured through and easily killed the three geeks with a blade, Darcy kept her eyes locked on the cross in the front of the room where a statue of Jesus was hung, not paying attention to anything else. Darcy blinked as she flinched at Rick's loud scream calling out for Sophia.

"I'm telling you, it's the wrong church. It's got no steeple, Rick. There's no steeple." Shane told his friend. But the same bells they heard through the woods rang loudly inside, and they all sprinted to find out the source of the sound once more.

Darcy went to move with the others as well, but her eyes were still enraptured by the figure on the cross. She stopped, leaning against the wall inside the small room when the bells had stopped mid-way, knowing the group had figured it out and most likely, hadn't found Sophia any where near.

Darcy wasn't scared because God was there; she was scared because she had felt like He wasn't. There was a brokenness that existed inside them all that led them to believe there was no hope of a God to save them from this madness.

Her thoughts consumed her in that moment, blaming everything that was happening on Him and asking why He would let this happen. Why would such a merciful loving God let His people to die and rot while doing nothing to stop it? Why would He let Sophia get lost? Why would He let her baby cousin die? Why would He force her hand to make a decision to leave her family behind?

Darcy grew up hearing about God, hearing that He had created the universe, some animals, the Grand Canyon, that she wasn't allowed to have sex or drink whiskey or go to dance clubs, that sort of thing. It was a belief of a system of the church, maintaining a relationship with not God, but a system of simple ideas, certain prejudices, and a feeling that she and people who thought as she thought were right.

This idea Darcy had of God faded quickly, seeing some of the true love He had shown for her throughout her life even though times were tough and she needed someone to hold on to. For a long time, she had been a woman of God and put all her trust in Him.

It took all of her strength to walk away from her family the night of the fire, the night of the walker attack she had told Daryl when they had first met. The three weeks of being on her own made her re-think everything. The chaos she went through to survive, finally finding a small friend Jasper, and then losing everything she had known previously in a matter of days…she finally had thought of getting up the nerve to tell God He didn't have a place in her life. If God didn't have an answer or a response for all this madness, then she felt that she didn't have any responsibility to believe He was there fore her, to believe He had her best interests at heart.

Darcy knew it was a moment of weakness, and she would hate herself for it later and take it all back. But as Daryl approached her from the doors of the church, she pretended and convinced herself it was an easy thing to do. He had brought her a great deal of comfort and an identity, but in the midst of everything, she felt He had done nothing.

Her heart beat quickly, and she could feel it thump so strongly she thought it was going to break her skin. Suddenly, the voice of Carol's prayer brought her out of it.

She sighed, giving up and thought: _Just give me a sign you're still here._

"Hey." Daryl called out to her.

Darcy turned her head and looked at Daryl, bringing herself out of her poisonous thoughts and back to reality.

Daryl motioned for her to follow him outside and she did, keeping up with the rest of the group as Shane rubbed his face and stepped away from Rick and whatever they were discussing.

"Y'all gonna follow the creek bed back, okay? Daryl, you're in charge. Darcy, you're with me and Rick just in case we pick up some tracks and need to follow 'em. We're gonna search this area another hour or so just to be thorough." He announced.

Daryl instantly looked across to Darcy, who met his eyes just in time. "You're splitting us up. You sure?"

"Yeah, we'll catch up to you." Shane nodded his head.

"I want to stay too." Carl piped up. "I'm her friend."

Darcy shot a look between Rick and Shane, wondering if this was a good idea to split up after all. Daryl had to keep a look out for all the rest of the group, she was sure none of them had a gun and maybe Glenn could cover Daryl if there was trouble but the whole situation made her uneasy.

"Just be careful, okay?" Lori stepped towards Carl and cupped his face.

"I will."

As the group dispersed, Daryl and Darcy kept their eyes on each other for the time being. Then, Darcy stepped forward towards him, keeping her eyes on the ground and walking in his direction. He watched her intently as she played with her fingers and looked back up at him once she was just a few inches away.

Darcy kept eye contact, reaching around his waist with both arms and stepping towards him slightly. Daryl watched, not knowing what she was doing or how he should react. He could feel her hot breath on his neck and Daryl moved his arms slightly, almost as if he was going to hug her in return.

But Darcy pulled back, giving him that familiar glint in her eye as she turned around and walked toward Rick, Shane and Carl who were making their way back to the steps of the church. Daryl felt something in the band of his pants, and he reached back as he too began to walk away, and pulled out the gun he gave Darcy earlier in the woods.

A smile played at the edge of his lips as he looked back to the woman for a quick glance before continuing on with the others. He just kept hoping she'd be okay with two officers watching her back.

After Rick had disappeared inside the church for a few minutes, the small group of four moved on around the edge of the woods before venturing inside for an hour's look.

Darcy kept ahead of the group, trying to keep focused on finding Sophia and getting back to the others as soon as possible. The eerie feeling had not left her, especially after watching Daryl and the others walk in the opposite direction. Darcy tried not to worry but her gut deep down kept making her mind and her heart focus on Daryl with every step.

As if on cue, the snapping of branches in front of her brought her back to reality and she raised her bow and crouched down all while signaling to the others behind her. They watched and waited, only to see a smile spread across Darcy's lips as she stood up again and looked back at the three boys.

It was beautiful, the sight of a real live buck walking directly in front of their paths like it hadn't even seen them there or even cared. It stood in an opening, and the four looked in awe at the creature.

Instinctively, Shane raised his gun, but Rick called him as Carl approached the deer with happiness in his eyes. Something Darcy hadn't truly seen in awhile. The closer Carl got, the more shocked the other three became. It was only until Carl was a few feet away that the deer had noticed his presence, and merely stared right back at him without fear in it's eyes.

Carl took one more step towards the deer when a loud gun shot rang out. The deer, and Carl, were both down and unmoving.


	13. A Playful Wink

**A Playful Wink**

She ran.

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She ran through the woods not having a care in the world who or _what_ heard her. All she knew, was that she had to make it, she had to. There was no other option.

With the last few steps to make it out of the dense woods she tripped over a loose root, falling into a bush of thorns and digging her arm in the base of it. The swelling. The pain. The ooze. It was a lot to handle in one day, it was another set back and Darcy was quickly running out of time.

Somewhere in her befuddled mind one thought connects to another and she's on her feet, not even bothering to inspect the deep cut on her forearm and continued forward.

Panting, Darcy cleared the woods and faced a field, wide, open, peaceful. Far across it was the white farm house the man had told her to go to. There was a Doctor there, a man who could save Carl, a man who could end this horrific nightmare of a day. Hershel, his name was.

Darcy had ran ahead of the three men, knowing she could make it there in time to let the Doctor know they were coming. Hopefully, he would be ready.

With the back of her hand she wiped the dripping sweat from her forehead, breathing heavily and allowing the rush of adrenaline run flow through her veins. Never could she ever get the image of Rick carrying the unmoving body of his son in his arms, blood covering every inch of his shirt and a face that said for the first time, he didn't know what to do.

Darcy closed her eyes and took another deep breath. She knows she needs to keep moving, but she's trembling and light-headed now, gasping for air.

_Ten seconds. Then move._ She tells herself. Darcy takes the time to rest, catch her breath, and doesn't allow herself to divert her mind to anything or _anyone_ when she does.

The pain in her arm did in no way compete with her determination to reach that farm house. As she counted down to her last few seconds, she was off again, sprinting towards the place of rest and rescue.

Darcy reached the hand-made metal gate and threw it open, not letting it slow her feet down in the slightest. She still held her bow when she jumped up the few white steps, pounding on the door with what little energy she had left. The accident may have been at least five miles away, and as she heard the frantic footsteps approach the screen door, Darcy turned and saw in the far distance the other three desperately trying to catch up with her.  
The door opened, and an older man stood tall facing Darcy with an intimidating glance.

"May we help you?" He spoke, and Darcy watched behind him as four other people stood in another room all eyes on her. His voice was calming, soothing, relaxing.

"There was an accident." She swallowed, still panting. "Your man shot a little boy. They're heading our way now."

"Was he bit?" He asked.

Darcy shook her head and let her eyes water as everything caught up to her. "No." She glanced behind her and she could see their figures clearly now. "Your man said to ask for Hershel. Is that you?"

The man nodded. "I am."

Her voice cracked. "Please help us."

"Patricia, I need my full kit." Hershel began rolling up his long white sleeves. "Maggie, painkillers, coagulates – grab everything. Clean towels, sheets, alcohol. Start setting things up in the downstairs bedroom. What is your name Miss?"

"Darcy!" Rick screamed, starting to fully panic at the sight of his boy in his arms. He reached the stairs, and Hershel and Darcy ran down to meet him so they could help him up and into the room they began to set up.

"Are you Hershel? Please help my boy!" Rick said frantically, placing Carl on the bed while others rushed in around him.

"Pillowcase, quick." Hershel instructed Rick. "Fold it. Make a pad."

Rick didn't move. "Is he alive?"

Darcy looked at Rick and immediately snatched a pillowcase from the bed and proceeded to do as Hershel said.

"Put pressure on the wound."

"Is he alive?" Rick asked again as he moved over to let Darcy do as he asked. Blood covered her hands as she watched Hershel use his stethoscope and listen for a heartbeat. Carl was pale, and barely breathing.

"I've got a heartbeat. It's faint."

"I got it, step back." Patricia asked, looking towards Rick and Darcy. Darcy immediately moved away and put a hand on Rick's arm. His face was unmoving from his son's, and was oblivious to the things going on around him.

"Let them handle this. Come on." She said gently, trying to guide him out of the room.

"Your name?" Hershel asked him.

"Rick. Rick – I'm…I'm Rick." He stuttered.

"Rick, we're gonna do everything we can, okay? You need to give us some room." Hershel spoke with care, but sternness. And when Rick still was unable to tare his eyes away from Carl, Hershel nodded at Darcy and she pulled more forcefully on his arm to get him out of the room.

As they reached the white door frame, Darcy glanced outside of the window next to her, seeing the man Otis struggling with every step he took whilst Shane continued to edge him onward. Rick saw the same thing, and he held out an arm to Darcy telling her he was okay to be by himself and walked out to meet his friend.

Darcy hadn't moved, she stayed staring out the window when Shane and Otis tried to get some more insight on the situation. Darcy could tell by Otis' face and expression he was struggling with what he had done, he was sincere, and completely apologetic and was willing to do anything he could to fix it.

Darcy leaned up against the window as she crossed her arms and bit the tip of her thumb when the others walked in to meet them. Her expression matched Shane's: worry, confusion, frustration. She hadn't come close to Carl or Lori, but she had with Rick and she respected him and his family because of the decisions and risks he made for the group. Shane didn't look at her when he passed. He didn't give her the nod she needed to tell her everything was going to be okay.

She needed him. She needed Daryl. His simple nod was all it ever took for her to calm down. Darcy pictured him standing next to her, trying to be subtle when looking at her every so often to examine her face. He always wanted to be on guard to make sure she was okay in every situation. Daryl always wanted to know what she thought, what she was going to do, how she was going to act.

Darcy could only hope he and the others were safe, because they weren't having any such luck.

-  
Lori faced the way behind her, standing tall and playing with the gun in her holster.

"You still worrying about it?" Andrea asked.

"Yeah, it was a gun shot." She whispered.

"We all heard it." Daryl said. They did. They all heard the gut-wrenching sound of just _one_ gun shot fired off back where they came. He knew Darcy and the others went that way, and he grew anxious to get back to the highway and meet up with the others just to make sure she was safe.

All of it made him sick to his stomach really, not just the image of Darcy dead on the forest floor, but the way he felt so enraptured by her that he just couldn't think of anything else. Daryl tried to ignore it, the way he always wanted to have her in his sights, make sure she was safe, to be the one to protect her. It was comforting to have her in his company, and he couldn't imagine someone he had grown so close with to suddenly not be there anymore. He had lost too many people already, Daryl wasn't about to let her go on top of it all.

"Why one? Why just one gunshot?" Lori asked.

Daryl had wondered that himself, but he managed to hide his worry and be the leader as Shane said. "Maybe they took down a walker."

"Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker. Nor Shane or Darcy for that matter, you know better. They'd do it quietly."

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carl said.

"There's nothin' we can do about it anyway." The realization made him sigh and shuffle his feet to keep his mind off her. "Can't run around these woods chasin' echoes."

"So what do we do?" Lori asked, impatient for Daryl to answer.

"Same as we've been. Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway."

-

"You know his blood type?" Hershel asked Rick.

"A-positive. Same-same as mine."

"That's fortunate. Don't wander far I'm gonna need you." Hershel looked to Otis, who still had his eyes wide and stuttered to find his words.

"I was tracking a buck. Bullet went through it. Went clean through."

Hershel lifted up the make-shift pad Darcy had made earlier to look at the wound. "The deer slowed the bullet down, which certainly saved his life. But it did not go through clean. It broke up into pieces. If I can get the bullet fragments out…and I'm counting six."

Otis had made it over to his wife, Patricia. "I never saw him, not until he was on the ground."

"Lori doesn't know?" Rick looked to Shane and Darcy, and she rubbed her forehead to hide away the oncoming tears. "My wife doesn't know."

"Shane." Darcy called out in a whisper, making the man turn slightly and follow the nod she gave him into the next room.

"I'll go get Lori." Darcy put her hands on her hips.

"Alone? No." Shane shook his head, "We can't afford to…" He looked back at the doorway where Carl laid. "It's too risky."

Darcy put her hands together and put them up to her mouth. "Listen, knowing Rick he's going to want to get her himself. Now, you know he needs to stay here and I'm not the type of person to convince him to. Ya'll are best friends…"

Shane's eyes grew red and watery, letting some droplets fall from his face. She put a hand on his shoulder. "…Brothers, even. You need to make sure he stays here. Besides, I can find them way quicker than you can and I know my way back."

Shane put his hands on his hips and tilted his head down as he looked at her. Darcy held his strong gaze, and she knew he knew she was right. Rick would try to get Lori, and he couldn't risk it if something happened to Carl.

Shane reached in his bag and pulled out Darcy's pistol and handed it to her. "Be safe."

"Do you have others out there?" Maggie rounded the corner and faced the two. "Other than Rick's wife?"

Darcy looked to Shane and back to Maggie. "A few."

"I'm going with you then. We'll take a horse, I'll bring back Lori. You said you knew your way back and that way you can lead the others back here safely. No use gettin' lost out there."

"You be safe now." Shane put a hand on Darcy's shoulder. "Go get 'em girl."

"Alright, let's go." Darcy looked to Maggie who lead her out to the stables. They quickly saddled a horse and sprinted off towards the area of the church, knowing running around in the woods blind wasn't going to help if they didn't immediately pick up a trail.

It didn't take long, Darcy pointed with her finger and whistled at Maggie to show her which direction to take the horse. Her eyes followed the line of Darcy's finger up into the foliage in front of them. At first, Maggie had no idea what she was pointing to, but then, about a 100 yards in front of them, she could make out the vague shape of the others in the dimming light.

The others were crossing the horse's path further up ahead and a growing sense of relief grew in Darcy's gut. Among the familiar evening sounds of the woods, Darcy's ears register a low growl, followed by the instant screams of Andrea falling to the floor and crawling on her back to scramble away from the flesh eating monster pursuing her.

"Go!" Darcy yelled at Maggie, who seemed to have a hard time understanding what exactly was attacking Andrea. She pulled out her bat, kicking her heels into the horse's sides and took off.

Reaching them in seconds, Maggie swung and struck the walker hard in it's side, making it topple to the ground beside the others. Maggie continued to run past Andrea before turning around, but Darcy leaped off the back of the horse and turned around to shoot an arrow through its skull to finally end its immortal life.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" Maggie called down to Andrea.

Darcy ran up to the walker first, quickly pulling her arrow and turning to Lori out of breath and ignoring the others. "Lori!"

"What? What's going on? Where's Rick and Carl?" Lori ran up to her.

"Carl's been shot." Darcy took hold of her arm and pulled her towards the horse. "This is Maggie, she's going to take you to him."

"He's still alive but you have to come now." Maggie told her. Lori stood, trying to piece together what the two women suddenly threw her way that made her whole world spin.

"Rick needs you! Just come!" Maggie finally yelled, before hoisting Lori onto the back of the horse.

"Whoa whoa whoa! We don't know this girl! You can't get on that horse!" Daryl pointed and yelled.

"Carl's been shot!" Darcy yelled back. "We don't have time to sit down and discuss everything over fish and chips, now GO!"

"You remember how to get back?" Maggie asked her.

"I'll be fine." Darcy nodded before watching Lori and Maggie set off back towards the farm.

"What the hell happened?" Glenn asked, approaching Darcy and grabbing her arm that was brutally cut up and bruised. Daryl came up from behind Glenn and looked at it as well.

"I fell." She shrugged it off.

"Is Carl alright?" Andrea asked.

Darcy nodded but sighed heavily, "He's alive. But he's not doing so well."

Carol came up to Darcy and hugged her, "Well, we're glad you're safe."

As Carol hugged Darcy, she looked up at Daryl who's eyes stared back down at her. He gave her the nod she was looking for all throughout this madness, and she didn't return it, but blushed a smile instead.

"Let's head back, get the others." Daryl said to the group, but his eyes did not move from Darcy's. "Start a new search for Sophia tomorrow."

Carol released Darcy and walked away from her as Daryl approached. "Can fix that up at the R.V." He motioned towards her arm.

"That's the third time you told me that."

Daryl smirked and lifted up her arm. "Pricker bush?"

"A nasty one." Darcy watched as he gently traced every cut with his thumb, careful not to press to hard but just enough to be tender and see what the damage was. He then looked up at her shyly, cupping one side of her face that must have been cut as well, and inspected her jaw with his thumb as well. Darcy could feel the slight trembling in his hands, and a sensation of warmth as he looked over her with care.

Daryl coughed and looked back down at her arm. "'M glad you're okay."

Darcy again blushed and looked down as well. "You too."

"Hey! You two coming?" Glenn yelled back to them, catching them off guard and unaware of anything else going on around them. They immediately backed off and continued to stare at the ground before turning around and walking back next to each other, still blushing along the way.

"No luck finding Sophia?" Darcy said quietly.

Daryl shook his head, "Nah, we'll look again tomorrow. Head back down the creek the other way."

Darcy nodded, keeping her gaze on the twigs and leaves around her feet. "Shouldn't we meet up with the others first?"

Daryl shrugged, kept his voice low and matched her tone. "Don' know. Maybe. Still gotta keep an eye out." Daryl looked at her as they walked and readjusted his grip on his crossbow. "Shoulda never split up to begin with." He scoffed. "More people get lost 'n hurt."

"I know." Darcy said.

"You 'n me should just look for her. Rick's occupied with Carl now. Prolly Shane too." Daryl cleared his throat, shrugging his shoulders.

"And the others?" Darcy looked to him.

"Just be in our way anyways. Cause more trouble. 'N look what already happened." Daryl motioned his head where Lori and Maggie galloped away on the horse earlier.

"And I won't be in your way?" Darcy asked.

Daryl stepped wide over a log. "Way I see it, we got the upper hand, better luck of findin' her. Know how to track, hunt. 'S no different."

"Harder to track something that's lost." Darcy mumbled.

"You got that look on your face same as everybody else. What the hell's wrong with you people? We just started looking."

"I didn't say anything about not finding her. Bite my head off why don't you." Darcy scoffed. "Being lost out here, there's a lot more ground to cover then just someone's back yard."

"It ain't the mountains of Tibet. It's Georgia." He looked at her. "She could be holed up in a farmhouse somewhere. People get lost and they survive. It happens all the time."

"She's young. And it's not every day someone gets lost and just _survives_ in a world like this now."

"Hell, I was younger than her and I got lost. Nine days in the woods eatin' berries. Wipin' my ass with poison oak."

"They found you?" Darcy stifled the laugh, only knowing the poison oak would bring up itself later.

"My old man was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doin' another stint in Juvie. Didn' even know I was gone." Daryl looked at Darcy. "I made my way back though. Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear. Except my ass itched something awful."

Darcy couldn't hold in her laughter, she covered her mouth with her hand and looked up at Daryl who was already forcing a smile back at her. "Sorry." She coughed, but the more she thought about it the harder she began to laugh. Soon, Daryl laughed right along with her and couldn't help but watch her smile.

"Only difference is, Sophia's got people looking for her. I call that an advantage."

"We'll find her." Darcy nodded, finally stopping her laughter and looked towards Daryl.

"There's Dale." Daryl looked ahead.

"What's wrong? Where's Lori?" Dale looked frantically throughout the group. "Carl, Rick, Shane? I heard screams."

"Carl's been shot." Glenn told him, hopping over the road railing.

"Shot? Whaddya mean shot?" Dale asked.

"I don't know, Dale. I wasn't there. All I know is this chick rode out of nowhere with Darcy like Zorro on a horse and took Lori." Glenn answered.

"Darcy's here. You didn't go with them?" Dale asked her, then looked to Daryl. "And you let her?"

"Climb down out of my asshole, man. Rick sent her. She knew Lori's name and Carl's. Don't matter anyways – Darcy was with her."

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Carl is at her house with her father who happens to be a Doctor. It's a horse not an airplane, can't fit more than two people on it and you gotta find the farmhouse somehow."

"And the screams?" Dale asked. "Was that you, Andrea?"

Andrea ignored Dale, walking past him and stomping towards the R.V. as Glenn answered Dale for her. "She got attacked by a walker, it was a pretty close call."

"Andrea? Are you alright?" Dale asked, only receiving a glare and a slammed door in his face.

"Forget her. She wants to pout, let her. We gotta meet up with the others. Shouldn't of split up in the first place." Daryl said, grabbing his bag and throwing Darcy another water bottle before putting his hands on his sides and standing close to her.

"We can't do that, we can't just leave." Carol sputtered out. "What about Sophia?"

"Carol, the group is split. We're scattered and weak." Dale said, resting up against the R.V.

"What if she comes back, and we're not here?" Carl said, looking throughout the group and receiving blank stares. "It could happen."

"If Sophia found her way back and we were gone, that would be awful." Andrea said.

Daryl nodded, "Okay. We got to plan for this. I say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig a big sign, leave her some supplies. Me 'n Darcy will hold here tonight, stay with the R.V."

Darcy suddenly thought that it was funny that Daryl began to make decisions for her. "No. I have to show those who are meeting up with Rick and the others the way back. Can tell you easy, Daryl, but no one else would know."

"If the R.V. is staying, I am too." Dale nodded.

"I'm in." Andrea held up a hand.

Daryl locked his eyes on Darcy. "It's not a good idea to split us up again. Look what happened last time."

"We could just all stay-" Glenn started.

"No, we have to get T-Dog to the farm. That cut has gone from bad to worse and he has a very serious blood infection. We gotta have Darcy take him to that farm, see if they have any antibiotics, and someone else has to go with her in case something happens. T-Dog will die if he doesn't get medical attention."

Darcy rubbed her eyes and sighed heavily as she heard rustling from behind her. She turned, seeing Daryl rifling through his motorcycle's bag and pulled out a huge plastic bag full of medications.

"Why'd you wait till now to say somethin'? Got my brother's stash." Daryl said. "Crystal, X. Don't need that." Daryl pulled out a bottle and tossed it to Glenn.

"Got some kick ass painkillers. Oxycycline." He tossed the bottle again. "Not the generic stuff neither. It's first class. Merle got the clap on occasion." Daryl shrugged.

Darcy walked over to Daryl away from the others. "You become more and more attractive every day." She said sarcastically, referring to Merle having the clap.

Daryl looked at her, "I don't have it."

"You sure?" Darcy bit her lip to hold back her laughter.

"Welcome to check if you'd like." Daryl stepped towards her, pulling his crossbow over his shoulder and standing tall above her. They were close, inches away even, and Darcy held his gaze as she stepped back to walk away.

Walking backwards and sending him a playful wink she answered him.

"Maybe later."


	14. Iris's Ablaze

Darcy scouted over the map and traced with both fingers, following the lines of the roads and figuring out how to pinpoint the farmhouse in order to pack up the vehicles and make their way over there.

Daryl leaned over the map as well, holding out one arm and watching her trail through, all the while watching her concentrated facial expressions and how her chestnut hair was blowing in the wind around her face.

"Here," She pointed, "We just need to back track to this road up here, which should be…" Darcy pointed East. "Back that way. Then it's a straight shot to the farm."

"That's not that bad." Glenn said, pulling his backpack on and adjusting his ball cap. "You don't need to come with us Darcy."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I mean, if Daryl wants to do another search for Sophia before meeting up with the others, it's better to have two trackers than one." Glenn said, twisting the machete in his hands.

"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?" Darcy looked to Glenn.

Glenn looked behind him at a delusional T-Dog who had himself wrapped in a thick wool blanket and then back to Darcy. "We'll be fine. I do this kinda stuff all the time by myself." He nodded. "Stay here and look for Sophia."

Darcy's amber eyes glistened in the low setting sun as she nodded, her hair still being tousled about by the wind. "Alright."

"Stay safe." Glenn gave a weak smile and turned around, throwing his and T-Dog's things in Carol's Cherokee and driving off in the direction Darcy had found easiest to go on the map.

With her hands on her hips and releasing a heavy breath, Darcy raised her eyebrows and turned to Daryl. The sun was just starting to set over the horizon at that moment. "I'll take first watch with Dale."

"You sure?" Daryl looked her up and down as she rolled up the map and grabbed her bow lying next to it on the hood of a truck.

Darcy threw her bow and quiver over her shoulder and nodded, "Get some sleep." Darcy took out her pistol and checked the chamber before setting it back in her holster. "First light we'll walk the road and look for Sophia before meeting up with the others."

"Alright." Daryl shuffled his feet. "Call out if ya need anythin'."

Darcy nodded at him, and didn't say anything else as she watched him walk away into the growing darkness that surrounded them. She heard the faint click of the trailer door being shut, and she scanned the area for a good look-out spot since Dale's was normally with his own R.V.

The door to the trailer suddenly shot open, and Daryl paraded out with a small first aid kit and a long line of what looked like a bed sheet torn for a wrap. He approached Darcy without saying anything and Darcy raised her brow.

"Bored already?"

Daryl smirked and nodded towards her arm. "Wrappin' that up." He searched around him and pointed to a pick up truck. "C'mon."

He walked over to the truck, unlocking the bed and setting it down while putting the cloth in his mouth and nodding his head for her to sit. Darcy hopped herself up, holding out her arm as Dale approached with his rifle.

He furrowed his eyebrows as he scanned the situation, "That's gonna need to be stitched up."

Daryl was laying out the cloth next to Darcy on the truck bed as he shuffled his feet, "Got it right here in the kit."

"You know what? Darcy edged off the truck. "I think I'm okay."

Daryl kept his eyes on the kit in front of him as he lightly grabbed hold of the edge of her shirt and pulled her back to the truck. He pointed a firm finger back to where she was sitting and Darcy reluctantly sat back down in a sulk as she watched him thread the needle.

"Ready?" Daryl gently took hold of her elbow.

"No. Don't do it." Darcy clenched her fist and closed her eyes, which made Daryl grasp her a bit more firmly.

Dale breathed a laugh, "Keep your eyes on me Darcy."

Darcy slowly opened her eyes as a sharp pain went through her skin, making her jerk her arm and Daryl's hold got a little tighter.

"Damn you, Dixon." She breathed.

"Quit bein' such a pussy." He mumbled, making Darcy shove him hard in the chest with her other hand. Daryl tried to hide his smirk, but Darcy kept her eyes on him.

Dale spoke up, "Where are you from Darcy?" Darcy raised her brow at him, "Just trying to keep your mind distracted." He smiled.

She sighed. "Colorado."

Daryl scoffed, "Figures. Ya damn pasty."

She glared. "'Maybe later' just turned into 'never.'"

Daryl's blue eyes glanced in to hers as he hesitated for a second, then shrugged. "Whatever."

"What brought you all the way out here?" Dale blinked a few times in shock.

Darcy lowered her voice. "My uncle." Darcy winced at the next round of stiches.

Dale nodded at the tone of her voice and moved on. "What'd you do?'

Darcy sighed, remembering her old days. "I uh, owned my own coffee shop."

"No kidding?" Dale said, Darcy forced a smile and nodded her head. "Had anyone special in your life?"

Daryl shot his head up and immediately stopped mid-stitch. Darcy tilted her eyes up at him when she spoke silently. "No."

Dale widened his eyes and smiled, "Ah," he said, patting Daryl on the shoulder. Daryl shifted away from Dale and narrowed his eyes at the old man, who began to walk away back to his trailer without saying another word.

The small snip of the scissors made Darcy look down at her bruised arm, surprisingly with professional looking stitches down each of the cuts.

"Thanks." She mumbled.

"'M not done." He said, "Lift your arm." Darcy did so obligingly, watching his gentle care as he wrapped the hand-made cloth around her forearm and tie it in a tight knot on top.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Darcy asked.

Daryl shrugged, putting everything back into the first aid kit. "Go lost for nine days 'member? Ya pick up a few things."

"Couldn't have learned that from just one time." Darcy laughed slightly, getting up off the truck and stretching out her arm.

He grew quiet, defensive even. "Had plenty of practice."

"More fun stories of you wiping your ass with poison oak?" Darcy teased him.

"Why don't you mind your own damn business?" Daryl spat.

Darcy tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, "Jesus, calm down Daryl-"

He waived an arm at her and took a few steps forward, "Don't tell me to calm down! Don't need a stupid bitch like you tellin' me what to do." Daryl turned back towards the kit. "Just leave me be."

Darcy shook her head and scoffed, not really understanding why he had grown so caring to so defensive in less than ten seconds. She had struck a nerve, but Darcy had no clue what it was. She hadn't dropped his blue iris's that suddenly went ablaze and burned into hers, trying to get a reaction, which is exactly what she was going to give him.

Darcy slowly backed away and raised her hands up in defense, "Fine. Then why don't you do the same and stay away from me until you've learned to grow up."

Darts were now being shot at the woman's back as she walked away and slammed the R.V. door shut. Daryl's temper rose in frustration with himself more than anything. He knew she didn't mean any harm, but he couldn't help but grow defensive over such a touchy subject that haunted him to his very core.

He turned, kicking the abandoned pack that someone had left behind before turning around and putting his hands on his hips. The realization of Darcy being angry with him grew quickly, making himself sick and thinking of any possible way to fix it immediately.

As the night grew onward, Daryl decided it was best to leave it be until the next day, after they both had calmed down and tempers were no longer flared. He threw his crossbow over his shoulder before throwing one last look towards the shut trailer, taking his place as watch for the rest of the night and hoping in the morning his girl will be forgiving.

"Ready?" Darcy asked Carol as they both waited by the green Honda parked behind Daryl's bike.

The woman sighed, "I'm scared. What if we don't find her or she comes back and-"

Darcy gave her a light smile, "She's a tough little girl, just like her momma. Sophia will be just fine."

"You're right." Carol smiled, opening the door and sitting back in the passenger seat.

Darcy looked around after Carol got in, making sure she had gathered everything that was set separately in a pile for them. She leaned her front against the car and crossed her arms as she rested her head on them. The mornings were slowly becoming more chilly, and Darcy counted her blessings as she wore a black leather jacket that fit her flawlessly, grateful she found clothes that could last her for a long while.

Daryl kept his eyes on her as he also tugged on his old worn leather and jean jacket, propping it up over his shoulders and squinting in the bright sun hoping she would look over to him and give him the nod that said everything was okay between them. Darcy didn't and wouldn't look over though, she knew he caught glimpses of her out of the corner of her eye, and she knew he was trying to catch her at some point doing the same to him. She refused to let that happen though, still bitter about the previous night.

"Alright, let's go!" Dale called out from his R.V. window. Darcy opened the car door and let herself inside, before absentmindedly doing the one thing she was trying not to do all morning. She caught the familiar blue stare.

Darcy took in a deep breath, forcing herself away from his gaze and onto the car keys in the ignition. Twisting them forcefully and hearing the familiar roar of the engine, she also heard the sound of the loud motorcycle in motion as well.

It had only taken ten minutes for them to reach the farm, and as they rounded the fence they saw the few familiar faces that welcomed them into a place that would eventually be their home.

They encircled the front white steps and parked. As they all sauntered out, Darcy taken notice of the few droplets of blood still stained from only yesterday, but looked up into the more than happy eyes of both Rick and Lori.

It was quiet between the group until Dale asked, "How is he?"

"He'll pull through," Lori nodded with a smile. "Thanks to Hershel, and-and his people."

"And Shane." Rick chipped in. "We'd have lost Carl if not for him."

"Thank God." Carol breathed, running up to hug Lori. Dale proceeded to do the same to Rick and Darcy looked over to T-Dog, noticing he was a lot better and she couldn't help but wrap him into a hug of her own.

"How'd it happen?" Dale asked.

Darcy let go of T-Dog and focused on Rick and Dale again. Behind them, Daryl – who immediately adverted his gaze after seeing her look his way.

"Hunting accident. That's all-" Rick shrugged. "Just a stupid accident."

"We are performing a ceremony for Otis – he had selflessly sacrificed his life in order for Shane to return with the medical supplies needed for Carl's surgery." Hershel nodded. "We would love for you all to join us in honoring his life."

"Of course." Rick nodded, looking between the group and deciding for them all.

The large group followed the members of the household to a far off location from the farm, encircling a stone grave representing Otis and his sacrifice. Darcy had her hands on her hips, her jacket now resting in the car as it grew to a normal Georgia summer day. Daryl stood across from her, both avoiding each other's gaze as Hershel said his prayer.

"Blessed be God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to him for the gift of our brother, Otis. For his span of years, for his abundance of character; Otis, who gave his life to save a child's, now more than ever, our most precious asset. We thank you, God, for the peace he enjoys in your embrace. He died how he lived, in grace."

Darcy shuffled her feet and let her eyes flicker to Daryl, knowing she couldn't stay from her close friend for too much longer. She looked up into the eyes of the familiar stare, already looking straight back at her.

"Shane, will you speak for Otis?" Hershel asked.

Shane looked to the ground. "I'm no good at it, sorry."

The small whimpers of Patricia spoke up, "You were the last one with him. You shared his final moments. Please. I need to hear. I need to know his death had meaning."

Shane nodded, "Okay. We were about done. Almost out of ammo. We were down to pistols by then. I was limpin', it was bad. Ankle all swollen up." Shane stuttered. "We got to save the boy. See, that's what he said."

Darcy listened to Shane, his tone, his depth. Her eyes moved to him, narrowing them at the slightest, daring him to say more. It was all on his face: the fear. The fear of knowing what truly happened and the fact it was eating him alive, changing him slowly. Darcy read it like an open book.

"He gave me his backpack. He shoved me ahead."

Shane grew angry, furrowing his eyebrows and causing his voice to grow deep and raspy. "Run, he said. He said, I'll take the rear. I'll cover you." Shane dropped his head. "And when I looked back…"

Darcy immediately shot her eyes to Daryl, hoping he would pick up on it too. Daryl didn't nod, but shook his head instead, swaying his weight from one foot to another. He knew.

Shane stepped forward and picked up a rock from the barrel to add it to Otis's grave. "If not for Otis, I'd have never made it out alive. And that goes for Carl too." That was it, Darcy thought, Shane was trying to convince himself he had made the right decision. "It was Otis. He saved us both. If any death ever had meaning, it was his."

Darcy threw her bow and quiver over her shoulder as she looked at the map set on the truck's hood Maggie had found for the small search group. She leaned on her elbows across from Daryl, watching where Rick was pointing to so the search could be properly organized according to what he seemed fit.

"We'll grid the whole area, start searching in teams." Rick declared.

"Not you. Not today." Hershel said. "You gave three units of blood. You wouldn't be hiking five minutes in this heat before passing out." He looked to Shane, "And your ankle- push it now, you'll be laid up a month. No good to anybody."

"Guess it's just me." Daryl said. "I'm gonna head back to the creek, work my way from there."

Darcy's amber eyes shined bright even though she narrowed them at the man, wondering why he had left her out of his plans. "Which way?"

He looked at the map, "South, re-track yesterday."

"Then I'll take north, scout out the new area." She traced her fingers along the creek line on the map.

Daryl shook his head, "No. You're stayin' put. Just put in those stitches, can't put force on them or they'll rip out, have to start all over."

"Let me see." Hershel said, untying the knot on her arm and removing the cloth. He sighed, "Unfortunately, he's right. These are fresh – if you plan on using that bow, they'll unwind for sure."

Darcy let out a long breath, glancing at Daryl and giving him a deadly glare. She felt useless, it wasn't as if she had just given blood or snapped her ankle like Rick and Shane, this was her being clumsy and falling into a damn prickle bush at the wrong moment.

"All right, tomorrow then." Rick looked between the small group. "We'll start doing this right."

"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives." Shane piped in. "They need the gun training we've been promising them."

"I'd prefer you not carrying guns on my property." Hershel said sternly. "We've managed so far without turning this into an armed camp."

"All due respect, you get a crowd of those things wandering in here…" Shane shrugged.

"Look, we're guests here. This is your property. And we will respect that." Rick said, firmly laying his pistol on the hood and looking to the others to follow. Shane reluctantly gave up his own gun and Darcy soon followed with Daryl's eyes on her the whole time.

"First things first: set camp, find Sophia."

"I hate to be the one to ask, but somebody's got to. What happens if we find her and she's bit?" Shane asked. "I think we should all be clear on how we handle that."

Darcy folded her hands in front of her mouth as Rick answered. "You do what has to be done."

"And her mother? What do you tell her?" Maggie asked, shocked.

"The truth." Darcy simply said, turning and walking away towards the house.

"Darcy." Rick called after her. She turned, frustrated. "I need to talk to you when you get a moment."

"Sure." She nodded, proceeding back in her direction towards the farm house. Darcy heard what she expected, fast footsteps from Daryl to meet up with her.

"Ya mad at me." Daryl said, walking next to her.

Darcy scoffed, "Daryl, you told me to leave you be, yell at me, and then declare me as useless."

"You ain't useless, Darcy ya injured." Daryl caught her shoulder and she stopped to turn towards him, taking a few steps to be even closer to make her point.

"Might as well be, these damn stitches that you just had to do." Darcy waived her hand at him, "And injured is like when you fall out of a tree or something."

"I was tryin' to take care of ya." Daryl raised his voice.

"Spent three weeks in the damn woods by myself you think I need someone like you to take care of me?" Darcy spat, turning back around and walking towards the house again.

Daryl didn't go after her that time, "What the hell is that supposed to mean, 'someone like me'?" He yelled, but she didn't pay any attention. "Darcy!"

The woman walked on, still furious about the previous night and now even more frustrated that she felt casted aside because of a stupid wound.

"The hell with ya." Daryl mumbled, grabbing his crossbow and stomping across the yard of the house, ready to spend some time to himself and clear his head after such a messed up couple of days.

"Daryl." Rick called out from the white steps. "You okay on your own?"

Daryl scoffed, "I'm better on my own. Don' worry I'll be back before dark."

"Hey." Rick made him stop. "We got a base. We can get this search properly organized now."

"You got a point or we just chattin'?" Daryl spat, seeing Darcy coming around the other side of the house to meet up with Rick.

"My point is it lets you off the hook." Rick said. "You don't owe us anything."

Daryl glanced at Darcy before turning around, "My other plans fell through."


	15. Safe & Sound (1)

It had been two days.

Darcy sat in a sulk in one of the camp's lawn chairs, picking at one of her arrows and stealing glances over at the small group that huddled around the pale yellow truck, deciding the next action plan to take on their big hunt for the little girl.

It had been announced the previous night to the camp that Daryl had found a small lead in a barn house, a cupboard with a blanket fit for Sophia. It twisted Darcy's stomach, knowing that he was out on the search by himself even though she knew fully well that he could take care of any danger that came his way. Used to him giving her the nod to go with him on ventures that tied their odd but perfect relationship together was something she had grown accustomed to. That void now created a small hole in her core, wanting to have his company more and more each day.

Andrea had generously (and quite annoyingly) volunteered herself for the search immediately after Darcy was told to sit out. The welcome she received was a thankful one, which made Darcy feel like she was suddenly pushed aside and forgotten, and even more frustrated with the situation that should have died off between her and Daryl by now.

Darcy had grown so disappointed with herself that she had even tried to build up her strength in the such short amount of time, lying in her and Daryl's tent and pulling her bow string back and forth to see how much exactly her arm could take. Daryl had caught her once at night when he was supposed to be by the fire eating with the rest of the group though, and she still to this moment couldn't figure out where he hid her bow.

[i]_Sauntering inside his tent, he heard the spring of the bow snapping back into place and immediately looked down at a guilty looking Darcy. _

"_Gonna mess 'em up." Daryl muttered, but she ignored him, pulling the bow string back again and looking at her arm, intrigued by how the stitches did in fact stretch._

"_Darcy, stop." Daryl warned, turning around and tossing aside his boots to get ready for bed. The sound of the bow being pulled caught his ears again, making him spin on his heels and reach for the bow himself._

"_Hey!" Darcy yelled, rolling over and scrambling away from the man while he crawled on top of her to snatch the bow she held above her head with a wide stretched arm. _

_Daryl pulled her arm down towards him with one hand and grabbed the bow with the other, making Darcy see how easy it was for him to actually overpower her. As he rolled off the woman to stand up, Darcy tackled Daryl just as he had done to her, all but trying to get her prized possession back. _

_Darcy straddled Daryl by sitting just on his rib-cage trying to pin him down as she grabbed it, but he flipped her over onto her back so that he was back on top of her again. Darcy stopped struggling at that point, holding her bow across her chest in both hands and her heart racing, staring up at the man who had both hands placed on either side of her face. _

_Although the burning rage inside of her told her to ignore it, Darcy couldn't help but think of how much she missed Daryl's company. They had been avoiding each other for awhile, neither one of them able to suck up their pride and arrogance to fix the situation between them where they had both clearly messed up. _

_As Darcy stared into the stony blue eyes that held her gaze, her heart leaped to her throat at the sight of him on top of her and ultimately, just trying to take care of her. Daryl moved a slow hand to the middle of the bow between her two hands, lightly grasping the weapon as she released it willingly. _

_Hesitating for just a few slow moments and breathing somewhat heavily from their little rumble, Daryl argued inside his mind. His eyes could be seen flickering to Darcy's lips, and his head twitching closer and closer until he stopped, giving his familiar scowl and quickly leaving the tent with Darcy's bow in hand.[/_i]

Darcy smirked as she watched the young boy from Hershel's group, Jimmy, she remembered his name as, approach Rick about joining in the search. Darcy threw one last disgusted look towards Andrea as she gave her two cents about the plan before turning her head against the wind, seeing Hershel off in the distance carrying a wheelbarrow full of his freshly picked garden.

Trying to occupy her mind with something else, Darcy stood up and put the arrow in her quiver that hung loosely over the back of her chair and walked towards the Doctor, leaving the familiar friend behind as she had no use for it anyways. All the while, a pair of blue eyes were glued to her back.

"Morning." Darcy walked over to the old man, giving him a slight smile and glancing down at the bunch of carrots he carried.

Hershel stopped the wheelbarrow and wiped his hands on a white towel he pulled from his back pockets and returned the unsure smile, "Darcy." He nodded.

Darcy squinted in the bright sun, "Do you need any help?"

Hershel sighed and put his hands on his hips and looked at the wheelbarrow, knowing full well where she was going with this conversation, "You can take some and give them to Nelly. I would appreciate if you could take her out and brush her, since she has grown fond of you already."

Darcy gave a big closed-mouth smile, mumbling a thank-you and taking some of the carrots. She hastily walked towards the barn where she had spent most of her two days hiding in, too frustrated and annoyed to do anything else around the others.

Spinning on her heels, Darcy kicked up the strands of hay spread about on the barn floor, seeing a familiar horse head sticking out of one of the stalls. Nelly gave the woman a small whinny, excited for the treat she knew was coming to her.

Darcy smiled, letting herself into the stall and resting her back against the door as the horse walked over to her slightly. Nelly had reached Darcy and bumped her large soft nose against Darcy's chest, welcoming her and her snacks.

Darcy let her fingers run through the horse's mane, letting the beast chomp loudly on the carrots Hershel let her sneak inside. Finishing off her last treat, Darcy took the large rope hanging around the horse's bit and lead her outside the stall, tying her on the small hook right outside.

Darcy heard footsteps growing louder as they made their way towards the barn, and she had assumed it was Hershel coming to give her the brush for Nelly so she didn't turn around right away. Instead, Darcy stood in the small streams of sunlight shining through the roof of the old wooden barn and let the ends of her hair be lightly tossed by the breeze flowing through.

A loud thump tore her away from petting the horse and Darcy turned around, facing Daryl's back as he tossed the saddle on the wooden ledge beside her. Darcy didn't say anything, but hesitantly went back to petting Nelly before Daryl had walked all the way to the other side of the horse to make himself stand across from Darcy, petting the horse while he stole small glances at her.

"Hey." He said quietly, making her eyes flicker to his as she waited for him to speak. Daryl shuffled on his feet but held her stare, ""M sorry about what happened before." Daryl's face no longer held his famous scowl, instead it was soft and sincere.

Darcy let out a relieved sigh, "Me too."

Daryl nodded at her, and a shy smile was tugging at the edge of his lips as he stared at the woman, missing her being close by all the time. Just like that, the stupid fight was over.

"'M going out again."

Darcy looked up, "By yourself?"

Daryl nodded, "Came in to borrow a horse." He scanned Nelly, stepping back and going over to his ready saddle and throwing it on her back. As Daryl strapped it, he stood close to where Darcy was, and she picked at her fingers as she watched his hands at work.

"Be careful." She said, patting the horse gently.

"Done it before. I'll be back before dark, jus' like I told Rick." Daryl said with a grunt, finally tightening the strap of the saddle to where it needed to be.

"I was talking to the horse." Darcy said, matter-of-factly.

Daryl breathed a light laugh, looking down at the woman and nodding as he ignored her sarcastic comment. "You're a piece 'o work, ya know that?"

Darcy shrugged, crossing her arms with a playful smirk as she leaned up against the barn wall behind her. "Something you can't handle?" Her voice was soft, alluring.

Daryl looked at her slightly, taking the crossbow off his shoulders and looping it over the horn of the saddle. "I'll be able to handle you jus' fine." He lowered his tone, speaking in his famous husky whisper.

Darcy blushed, smiling and looking at her fingers. "I've missed you." She laughed slightly, before realizing what she had admitted and flustered her words, "I mean – just…having you around…if that makes sense." She furrowed her eyebrows and squinted her eyes up at the man, seeing what reaction he'd give her.

Daryl advanced towards her and nodded, "Are ya talkin' to me or the horse?" Darcy blushed more, breathing out a small laugh and avoiding his gaze as she shook her head.

"Hey." Daryl said quietly, causing Darcy to look up at him. He nodded a few times as his eyes bore into hers, "Missed ya too."

"Daryl," A voice called out. The two turned, facing a slightly amused Rick leaning on one leg just inside the barn entrance with a casual hand on his gun. "You all set?"

Daryl took a step back, making him and Darcy realize just how close they were. "In a minute." He called out.

Rick nodded back, glancing to Darcy before leaving the barn. "You're in charge of camp?"

Darcy nodded, "Sure."

"We won't be gone long." Rick nodded, turning around and stepping out into the sunlight, "Ready when you are Daryl."

When the footsteps of their leader faded almost completely away, Darcy sighed and shuffled on her feet as she put her hands on her hips and looked up at Daryl. He, staring back down at her, put on a crooked smile.

"I'll bring 'er back safe and sound." He motioned to the horse.

Darcy scoffed, "I don't care about the horse, Daryl." She picked herself up off the wall and walked with her hands in her back pockets and towards the opening of the barn.

Daryl, followed closely behind her, tugged Nelly along as they walked side by side. "Then what do ya care about?"

Darcy stopped and faced Daryl while she shrugged, "The group." She pointed a firm finger at his chest and poked him slightly, lingering her touch on him. "Bring yourself back safe and sound, Dixon." She whispered. "Please."

Daryl lowered his gaze and squinted his eyes at the woman as he nodded slowly, watching her facial expressions go from joking around to completely serious and sincere for him to return safely. At least, that's what he hoped.

Darcy turned away from the country boy then, walking slowly back to camp with him on her mind, a sickening feeling growing deep inside her gut as she saw the others on the edge of the tree line waiting for the okay to go ahead and get moving.

The horse's galloping footsteps made Darcy's heart take a turn, feeling the gush of wind of Daryl on the back of Nelly just past her riding towards the forest and disappearing until she saw him again later on that day. At least, that's what she hoped.


	16. Safe & Sound (2)

He woke.

Dazed, confused. The light streams around him shone bright, and hazy. He lifted his head, squinting at the immediate pain he felt and rested it back down on the solid rough surface of the stone behind him. His back laid in the mixture of wet dirt and sand, limbs sprawled out in an unnatural fashion, completely limp and throbbing from the impact of his fall.

He could hear nothing. Everything around him had suddenly fallen silent, and a new wave of brightness overtook him as he forced open his heavy eyelids and looked up into the tree line of the Georgian woods. Blood dripped from the side of his face. He grew dizzy, his eyes having a mind of their own as they defied their orders and sunk themselves back into his mind, demanding rest from all the chaos they've seen over the past few months. He couldn't rest here, not now, not in the woods alone.

He finally calmed his breathing, but it didn't stop him from wincing at the arrow that had lunged it's way into his side that had managed to plunge itself straight through his skin. He didn't want to move in that moment, but desperately wanted to lay there – sulking in his own misery and bad luck because he wouldn't go out unless he was on his own.

Darcy could have been there, and this would have never happened. She was standing right there in front of him, almost healed to where she could have come with him, but his pride and arrogance, not to mention shyness, kept him from asking her along.

His mind wandered to her – thinking of her and all her beauty and charisma, wondering if she really cared about him the way he wished she did. He wondered if he were to die laying pathetically in the waters of the creek whether or not she'd mourn, miss him, go search for him. He hoped she would, he would do that for her.

Daryl forced himself again to open his eyes and turn his head to at least try to gather his surroundings. His mind was fading quickly, demanding time to rest. His blue eyes stopped on a small stuffed figure, covered in dirt and filth much like himself – Sophia's doll.

Daryl remembered suddenly, coughing trying to clear his mind and wake himself up. Darcy, the horse, the doll…the embankment. The pieces of fragments left in his mind were being pieced together, gathering whatever strength he had left in him to recall anything that day.

He nodded, the horse had thrown him after being scared of a small snake – thrown him over the steep cliff and down into the waters below him. He fell on his arrow, and tried climbing the cliff…now he was here, laying on the ground in the open with no cover or strength to defend himself. Daryl fell out of place then, mind going blank and completely unaware.

His mind fought with his body, hearing soft footsteps approaching his way and a shadow overlooking his mangled frame. A scoff emerged from the stranger's lips, shaking their head at the sight they deemed as pathetic.

Daryl opened his eyes as the world suddenly became clearer, and he saw the figure of his older brother standing over him scouting out the situation.

[i]"_Why don' you pull that arrow out, dummy?"_ [/i]He tilted his head.[i]_ "Ya can bind you're wound better."_ [/i]

Daryl gave a faint smile, let his eyelids flicker shut at the sound of his brother's voice. "Merle." He called out.

Merle gave a confirming grunt with a wide smile, [i]_ "What's goin' on here? You takin' a siesta or somethin'?"_ [/i]

"Havin' a shitty day, bro." Daryl mumbled.

[i]_ "Like me to get you a pillow?"_ [/i]Merle mocked.[i]_ "Maybe rub your feet?"_ [/i]

"Screw you." Daryl scoffed.

[i]_ "Huh-uh. You're the one screwed by the looks of it. All them years I spent tryin' to make a man of you. This what I get? Look at ya."[/i] _Merle pressed. [i]_ "Lyin' in the dirt like a used rubber. You're gonna die out here, lil' brother. And for what?"_ [/i]

Daryl coughed, "A girl." He tried opening his eyes. "They lost a lil' girl."

[i]_ "So you got a thing for lil' girls now?"_ [/i]Merle asked.

"Shut up." Daryl said.

[i]_"'Cause I noticed you ain't out lookin' for ol' Merle no more. Instead ya shackin' it up with some piece of sugar you found out in the woods." _[/i]

Daryl's heart leaped, knowing he was talking about Darcy. Merle read the look on his face and laughed.[i]_ "Tha's right. I know 'bout that bit of ass you've been followin' around. Jus' like some sick puppy."_ [/i]He scoffed_. _[i]_"Forget about me did ya?"_ [/i]

"Tried like hell ta find ya, bro." Daryl mumbled, trying to ignore Merle's constant jabs.

[i]_ "Like hell you did. Ya split, man. Lit out first chance you got."_ [/i]

"You lit out. All you had to do was wait." Daryl's voice couldn't manage anything but a whisper. "We went back for ya. Rick and I." He nodded. "We did right by you."

[i]_ "This the same Rick that cuffed me to the rooftop in the first place? Forced me to cut off my own hand?"_ [/i]Merle continued.[i]_ "This him we're talkin' 'bout?"_ [/i]

Daryl's eyes scanned his brother truly since they started talking. No hands were cut off, not even a scratch could be found on his older brother. Merle's face and clothes were clean, as clean as the day Daryl could remember when there wasn't a time where dead people starting walking around.

[i]_ "You his bitch now?"_ [/i]Merle teased.

"I ain't nobody's bitch." Daryl grew defensive.

[i]_ "You're a joke is what ya are, playin' errand boy to a bunch of pansy-assess, niggers, and democrats."_ [/i]Merle chuckled.

"We take care of our own." Daryl nodded. "Everyone."

[i]_ "Then what was I to ya? Left me up on that rooftop dead by them biters?"_ [/i]

"I told ya, we went back for you. You left." Daryl said. "They ain't like that."

[i]_ "They're laughin' at you behind your back. Ya know that don't ya?"_ [/i]Merle laughed.[i]_ "I got a lil' news for ya son. One of these days, they gonna scrape you off their heals like you was dog shit."_ [/i]

"But Darcy," Daryl closed his eyes. "Darcy and I…"

[i]"_You're nothin' but a freak to her. Redneck trash. That's all ya are."_ [/i]

Daryl shook his head. "She trusts me. We look out for each other."

Merle hit Daryl's chest, forcing him to open his eyes and look at him. [i]_ "Hey. They ain't your kin, and she don' care nothin' about ya or anybody else back in that camp of yours."_ [/i]

Merle scoffed and scanned Daryl's face as it fell dramatically.[i]_ "Hell, if you had any damn nuts in that sack of yours, you'd go back there and shoot your pal Rick in the face for me and screw her already. Toss her to the side right after, she ain't worth ya time. She's tuggin' you along and playin' with ya. Get yours, and move on."_ [/i]

"She ain't like that." Daryl winced.

[i]_"You think a girl like her and you have a chance? Look at ya."_ [/i]Merle ridiculed.[i]_"You ain't nothin' special. Hell, I wouldn' be surprised if she 'n Rick were off…"_[/i]

"No." Daryl interrupted him, almost pleading. Almost as if he were trying to convince himself more than anyone that Darcy did care for him. "You're wrong. She told me she…"

Merle reached up and grabbed Daryl's face with one hand forcefully, interrupting his brother once more.[i]_"Now you listen to me. Ain't nobody ever gonna care 'bout you 'cept me lil brother."_ [/i]He patted Daryl's cheek.[i]_"Ain't nobody ever will."_ [/i]

[i]_"Come on, get up on your feet."_ [/i]Merle stood up.[i]_"Before I have to kick your teeth in."_ [/i]

Daryl's eyes drooped, closing again as he grew dizzier by the second. Merle kicked his foot, kneeling down and pulling him by his black leather boot repeatedly.

[i]_"Let's go."_ [/i]

Daryl could feel the shoes pinching his toes as Merle pulled and pulled. Daryl tilted his head over to see his crossbow lying next to him in the dirt. He's still on his back, preparing to reach for it and get up like his brother commanded, but Daryl is still so preoccupied with the day's events that it takes a sudden screech of a few birds flying above him to bring him to his senses.

The bright light through the tree line started to fade, making the creek look as innocuous as it has been for the past hour. But what makes Daryl jerk his foot back is the sound, like an raging animal feasting on it's prey, indicating Merle was no longer around but a walker biting Daryl's boot was.

Daryl scrambled backwards, kicking the walker in it's mouth ajar and reaching desperately for his crossbow behind him. The walker climbed on top of Daryl, grabbing and nipping at his worn sleeveless shirt still growling profusely at the sight of a fresh meal.

Daryl grabbed the walker's shoulders, pushing it to the side and bringing a fist to it's jaw. The walker toppled to it's side, giving Daryl enough time to reach for a stick next to him. Daryl jumped to his knees, bringing the walker to it's back and and smashing the stick forcefully into it's skull, hearing the gurgling noises that came from it's shattered brains.

Just when he thought it was over, Daryl looked up ahead of him onto the sight of another walker attempting to cross the waters towards the sounds that initially attracted it. Daryl kneelt back, pulling the arrow out of his side and with all his strength, and placed it into his crossbow.

Daryl saw the figure growing closer and fumbled with fear with snapping the crossbow in place. Lying on his back and looking up into the face of something he despised, a sudden move of Daryl's finger shot the arrow which was aimed perfectly at the forehead of the beast.

With his chest panting and the walker crumpling to the ground, Daryl couldn't fight the cries of his body or mind any longer. He lied on his back, unmoving, and without any hope to stop his mind from fading into blackness.

[i]_"Daryl."_ [/i]A soft voice called out to him, his mind muddled and growing quiet tired of the headaches and unconsciousness that seemed to never end on this shitty day, as he told Merle.

[i]_"Hey."_ [/i]A hand glided over his arm. The feeling of warmth and comfort flowed through his body at the touch. He sighed in relief, knowing that voice anywhere, and flickered his eyes open with ease at the sight of Darcy staring down at him.

Darcy was kneeling beside him, and he instantly knew she wasn't actually [i]_there_. [/i]Just like Merle. She was in her everyday clothes sure, but there wasn't a speck of dirt on her face, her arm was completely healed, and her auburn locks were in perfect place around her face and rested neatly on her shoulders. And she smiled at him, a true genuine smile.

"Darcy." He grunted, the corners of his mouth tugged up into a small smirk.

[i]_"You said you'd bring yourself back safe and sound, remember?"_ [/i]She told him, resting her gentle hand on his forearm. He reached up with a shaky hand as he grabbed hers and laced it into his own.

"I'm tryin'." He closed his eyes.

Darcy let out a small laugh and looked at the two dead walkers around him. [i]_"What the hell happened?"_ [/i]

"Damn horse threw me." Daryl shuffled his weight. "Fell down the cliff 'n got stabbed."

[i]_"By your own arrow."_ [/i]Darcy pointed out, reaching over and looking at the wound.

"Shut up." Daryl mumbled. Darcy went back to his side and looked down at him with a tilted head. She stayed silent for a little bit, and Daryl finally let his eyes open once more.

[i]_ "Don't let him get to you."_ [/i]She whispered.

"Who?" He squinted at her.

[i]_ "Merle. Don't let him control you."_ [/i]Darcy said. [i]_ "You're better than him."_ [/i]

"Ya don' know him." Daryl grew defensive again towards her.

[i]_ "Stop defending the bastard and open your eyes."_ [/i]Darcy scoffed.

"Best choose your words more carefully." Daryl said.

[i]_ "What are you gonna do? Yell at a ghost?"_ [/i] She raised an eyebrow. [i]"_ "Just listen to me."_ [/i]Darcy moved over him, leaning on her arm that was now placed on the side of his face.

[i]_ "You're a good man. You're smart and strong, and I know you care about the group just as much as Rick or Shane. You're every bit as good as them, if not better. I'd follow you over them any day, Daryl. He's not going to take care of you. You know that first hand."_ [/i]

Daryl sighed, not having enough strength to argue and just waited for her to continue. [i]_ "You run back into old ways with your brother you're gonna start to lose yourself. You're gonna lose the man you've become, someone that everyone back in that camp looks to for answers and protection."_ [/i]

"Ain't nobody lookin' to me for shit."

[i]_ "I am."_ [/i]Darcy sighed. [i]_ "Now get up and climb. You've got a lady waiting for you to get back already."_ [/i]

"Wait." Daryl called out. "Don't go yet."

Darcy went to stand up, but the grasp Daryl had on her other hand tightened, pulling her back down to be inches away from his face.

He reached up his other hand, tangling his fingers into her hair and pushing it away from the side of her face. Daryl glanced from her eyes to her lips, wanting this so desperately to be real but at the same time, somewhat glad it wasn't because he could never get up the courage to do this in real life.

Darcy smiled lightly at him, her expression vague and sympathetic for her friend. The heart beat in Daryl's chest filled his ears as he pulled the back of her head towards him, bringing her lips down to his slowly.

Just as he felt the slightest brush of her lips on his, Daryl woke, finding a butterfly flying round his face and landing on his forehead. Daryl sat up, scaring the small insect away and rubbing his face in embarrassment and making sure that he was actually awake this time. Daryl looked around him, seeing neither Merle or Darcy and shaking his head from his bizarre dream of the two of them fighting with each other in his mind.

Rubbing his face once more, he blinked his eyes rapidly a few times to focus before tilting his head up slowly at the cliff. Then Daryl got up, grabbed his bow and threw it over his shoulder as he stood tall and determined.

Walking to the outer steps that would eventually lead him to safety, he finally began to climb.


	17. Safe & Sound (3)

Somewhere in the deep woodland of Georgia, just on the edge of the Greene's farm, Darcy found herself slowly sinking into the black and gooey knee-deep mud.

"Glenn," she muttered dryly, "When this is all over, remind me to explain to you the difference between a river and a swamp of doom."

Glenn, who asked her to help him scale the river closest to the farm, held his rifle over his head with his tongue sticking slightly out of his mouth in concentration, trying to wedge his way forward with no luck.

"That's what it said on the map." Glenn gave a nervous smile back at her and she couldn't help but laugh at their current state.

"See if you can grab that root." Darcy pointed just to the left of Glenn, who was closest to the embankment of the 'river.'

"Alright, hold this." He reached back, giving Darcy the rifle so he could make a better attempt at lunging for the root.

With a pathetic leap, mostly because of the suction the mud actually had on the two, it was remarkable that Glenn was able to reach it and pull himself up out of the green water.

He stepped up on the bank and heaved himself up before turning around and reaching out a friendly hand to Darcy behind him. Darcy grabbed his hand and finally inched herself over to the side where he stood. Feeling the intense sound of the mud eating her foot, Darcy reached and pulled with both hands on her leg before the mud finally gave way and caused her to fall back into the dirt and twigs behind her.

"What are we looking for again?" Darcy lay on her back, collapsed and smelling of the foul gunk that stuck against her clothes.

Glenn shrugged and scratched his forehead beneath his ball-cap, "Nothing. I felt like we needed to check the perimeter before Rick and the others got back."

"I don't know what's keeping their farm un-touched but it seems the perimeter is fine to me." Darcy groaned. "Can we go back now? We've been at this for hours."

Glenn checked his watch, "We've been walking for ten minutes."

Darcy arched an eyebrow at him as he held a slightly amused smirk. "You have got to be kidding me. I must be seriously unfit."

Glenn sighed, sitting down next to her. "You had to take a few days off is all, it probably wore you out."

Darcy ignored his comment and put herself in deep thought as she laid back and sprawled out in the dirt. She stared at the sky, "What if Hershel has like, this stash of walker parts just laid out around his farm to make any that come near turn around because they can only smell the bits and pieces and not his chickens or cows, you know?"

"It'd be a good idea." Glenn let out a small nervous laugh. "But I can't picture him doing something like that, just hacking bodies apart? And he would need hundreds of walkers, his farm is huge."

Darcy shrugged and stood up, wiping the beads of sweat from her forehead. "Let's head back. The others should be at camp by now don't you think?"

"I don't know, maybe." Glenn shrugged, getting up as well and following her around the swamp, something they didn't see before. "You seem to be asking about them a lot. You worried something will happen?"

"Are you not?" She asked, bringing a hand above her eyes and blocking out a sun-ray.

"Well, we haven't seen many walkers…only four or five total since we've been here, so I'm worried yeah, but I know those guys can handle it." Glenn stepped on a twig that made a loud 'snap.' "But I think if it were someone like Maggie-"

"You like her don't you?" Darcy gave a knowing smile and watched Glenn blush.

"Yeah," He nodded, "But that's what I mean. Sure, I care for the group but if she was in danger I would want to make sure I was back when she-"

Glenn stopped, looking at Darcy with a blank stare as she made a face like she knew what was going to happen next, squinting her eyes and biting her lip like she didn't want him to find out, but there was no use hiding it from him.

Darcy looked down at the ground and Glenn then dropped his jaw in realization. "Daryl?"

"Don't make a big deal out of it Glenn." Darcy tried to walk away but Glenn grabbed Darcy's shoulder and pulled her to face him.

"You and Daryl? What's going on, is something going on?" Darcy shrugged, not really knowing what to say exactly as Glenn continued to have a small panic attack.

"I can't believe I didn't see it before. I mean, you guys share the same tent…you are always going on watch with each other.." Glenn counted on his fingers, "You are always talking, he's always asking where you are.." Darcy rolled her eyes and walked away, "He wanted it to just be you and him to stay with the RV that one time…"

"Glenn!" Darcy turned around and grabbed his shoulder. "Stop."

"Is it true?" Glenn said quietly. "Are you and Daryl.."

"No, Glenn." Darcy put up a hand and started to walk away again.

"But do you like him?"

"God, you're such a girl right now." Darcy mumbled.

Glenn took a step forward, "Well, do you?"

Darcy stopped as she reached the edge of the wood, seeing that Rick and the others were in fact back, but Daryl was not in her sights.

Darcy turned and shrugged as she leaned on one leg and put her hands on her hips. "I don't know Glenn."

"You don't know?" Glenn furrowed his brow, "How could you not know?"

"Because I don't, Glenn." Darcy rubbed her face with both hands. "I feel like, if I do, if I say it out loud…it will ruin everything. And, I don't want to be constantly afraid of whether or not we'll both survive tomorrow."

Glenn sighed and was about to say something but Darcy stopped him, "Drop it, Glenn. Let's just go back to camp and change, I'm starting to get sick from the smell of that swamp."

He nodded, "Okay."

As the two walked back to camp, Rick gave Darcy a quiet nod before she returned it and hid in her tent. Within a few minutes, she emerged freshly dressed with her dirty clothes in her hands. Darcy walked over to the RV, where Andrea sat on top of the vehicle on watch and a smug look on her face at that.

Still frustrated at the blonde, she tossed her dirty clothes into the bucket where they are usually put and placed her hands on her hips. Darcy looked off into the direction where Andrea was looking, and saw that it had been quiet for the time being.

Carol then came out of the RV, saying hello to Glenn and Dale as they walked inside. She saw Darcy out of the corner of her eye and went over to meet her.

"Hi sweetie," Carol gave a weak smile. "I've got something of yours."

Darcy looked over to her with interest and shook her head with a smile as she was handed her bow. "Daryl give this to you?"

Carol nodded, "For safe keeping. Just until you were better." She smiled. "I think you deserve it back now, you seem better to me."

"Thank you." Darcy said, throwing her old friend over her back along with the quiver, loving the feeling of security on her shoulders again.

"We're cooking dinner for Hershel and his family tonight. Would you like to help?" Carol asked.

Darcy sighed, looking back towards the woods, hoping Daryl would soon show up. "In a bit." She nodded.

Carol smiled and looked to where the girl's eyes were glued. "Take your time. He'll be back soon."

Darcy shook her head again and gave a small laugh, ignoring the constant comments she was getting that day and just crossed her arms and walked over to a tree so she could lean against it as she waited.

"Finally got that back, huh?" Rick came up beside her and kept his gaze towards the horizon that began to slowly set.

"You knew?" She raised her brow.

Rick nodded and smiled at her, "Yes ma'am. I try to keep up with everything that goes on in this camp."

"You're doing a good job so far."

Rick remained silent for a moment, before tilting his head and looking over to her. "You think this is right?"

Darcy blinked at the man, "Is what right?"

"Looking for Sophia."

"What else would we be doing?" Darcy asked.

"I'm just," He sighed heavily and looked at the ground, "I'm just getting a few people's opinions. Some think she's a lost cause, others-"

"'Some' meaning Shane?" Darcy darted her eyes over to campfire where he sat.

Rick scoffed. "Yeah."

"Do you think we should look for Sophia?" Darcy asked straight-out.

Rick shuffled on his feet, "I think it's plain and simple it's what we should do."

Darcy nodded and looked forward again. "Then that's what we do."

Rick smiled, nodding with her in agreement and with appreciation that she respected his judgment. "Thank you, Darcy."

"Walker!" Andrea shouted. "Walker!"

Rick and Darcy both turned at the sound, seeing off to where they first kept their gaze a stumbling figure making their way slowly directly for their camp. Darcy lifted her bow off her shoulder as Rick made his way calmly over to Andrea.

"Just the one?" He called up to her.

Andrea stood up and brought the binoculars to her eyes, only getting a glare in the lenses just like everyone else. It was clear there was only one, but the body of the figure was clouded by the gleaming light of the sun setting.

"I bet I can nail it from here." Andrea said, picking up the rifle without a second thought.

"No no, Andrea. Put the gun down." Rick held up his hand to her, he knew Hershel wouldn't allow guns on the property and it could cause their visitation to run shorter than planned. He turned to Darcy, "Can you make the shot."

Darcy didn't even bother lifting her bow to see, "No, the distance is too far."

"You'd best let us handle this." Shane, T-Dog, and Glenn came out from the tents with weapons in hand, walking with determination towards the threat still too far away to do any damage.

"Shane, hold up. Hershel wants to deal with walkers." Rick stepped towards them.

"What for, man? We got it covered." Shane continued anyway, getting a nod from T-Dog and Glenn before starting to run off quickly towards the walker up ahead.

Darcy watched as Rick followed suit, grabbing his gun from inside the RV and catching up with the others. She walked over to where Dale was standing on the ladder of the RV, Andrea still holding the rifle loosely in her hands.

They watched and waited, seeing the four men catch up to the walker and suddenly stop in front of it, none of them moving any more. It was when Darcy heard the faint 'click' of the gun from above her head that made her heart leap something was wrong.

Darcy watched Andrea raise the gun and point. "Andrea, don't!" Dale said to her.

"Back off Dale." She grunted, laying on the RV and focusing on the figure again.

"Andrea!" Darcy yelled, "They have it, leave it alone!" Andrea shuffled her body for a slight second, putting her finger on the trigger.

"I'm doing what needs to be done, Darcy."

Taking a sharp breath in, Andrea fired her weapon.


	18. Made of Scars

The shot circled out through the woods and fields that surrounded them, causing birds hidden within the treetops to fly out of their nests and homes to somewhere they deemed as safe for the time being. But for the camp, it was only an echo that rang for miles in every direction as a reminder of mistaken identity.

Over the horizon the sun began to set for the day, but it was not the normal beautiful colors that somehow made everyone in that camp think of better times, but of dark and starless hues, signaling the walker they had shot down was in fact one of their own.

All she could remember was the limp body the two officers heaved over their shoulders towards her and the house, messy, dirty, smelling of death. Haziness and a faint ringing in her ears was all she could comprehend as she watched them get closer and closer, seeing his body worn out, beaten, unmoving.

Darcy didn't flinch or make the slightest of sounds, but stood in a wave of her own mixed emotions. All were so powerful she put her hands up to the sides of her face, skin gone pale white as she stared at the dragging feet of her friend being pulled past her.

Gentle hands grabbed hers and turned her body towards the house, wrapping a steady arm around her shoulder and leading her in the right direction. It was until she was being caringly pushed with her back against the wall that she saw that it was Rick in front of her, looking down with worry and reassurance that Daryl was okay.

Throughout it all, his voice was cloudy and barely audible in her own mind, still eyes set on the body lying on the bed in the room behind the Sherriff. Darcy knew that unless she saw Daryl awake, her mind couldn't wander away from heart-wrenching image that was now burned into the folds of her mind.

"Darcy?" Glenn said quietly from the hallway. Darcy turned then, realizing that Lori and Shane were standing amongst her and Glenn as well. He carried Daryl's crossbow in his right hand, slightly outstretched towards her for her to grab it.

"I thought you might want to hold on to this." He shrugged, adverting his eyes from hers as she mumbled a 'thank you' and took it from him.

Darcy placed the crossbow down carefully against the wall beside her, and made herself slide her back down the wall next to it with her knees brought up to her chest. With one elbow on the top of her left knee Darcy held her forehead in her hand, peering at the closed door across from her and ignoring the knowing stares from the others.

Loud and quick footsteps soon approached the quiet worried group members, and Darcy's heart lurched and ached with the rush of adrenaline because she knew who the person was. Darcy only hoped they knew to stay away from her at that time.

"Is he okay?!" Andrea said, out of breath and looking between the four. T-Dog showed up right behind her, also catching Darcy out of his eye and wondered for himself if Andrea should be there.

Lori stepped forward with one arm crossed and another hand lightly raised, "He's fine, he's just unconscious. They're trying to wake him up now." Lori had said this quietly, giving a few quick glances over to Darcy who was still holding her forehead and sitting close to Daryl's crossbow on the floor.

Darcy tried to drown out the noise around her, but the cracking of Andrea's voice broke through her shield as she continued to explain what happened in stutters, "I-I didn't know-"

"God, Andrea. Enough." Darcy scoffed. "I am so sick of you constantly wining and complaining about everything, everyday." Darcy stood up and the rest of the group went wide-eyed, not expecting such an outburst from her since she normally kept her cool and opinions under control.

Andrea's facial expressions tightened, "How can you say that? All I've been trying to do is help out, look for Sophia, protect the camp. I have my opinions just like you, that's not complaining. And what's it to you, you barely know me? You have no idea what I've been through or what I've had to deal with-"

"You want me to feel sorry for you?" Darcy let her shoulders drop forcefully. "Because you lost your sister? Because you wanted to die? Because you shot Daryl? Every one of us has our own shit to deal with too, it's not just you."

Shane stepped forward and put a gentle hand on Darcy's stomach to hold her back, "Girl, let's just take a step back…" He whispered.

"No I'm not finished," She looked to Shane, "Rick told you to put the gun down, Andrea. And instead of getting off your high-horse you decided to prove to everyone that you were actually useful and then this is what happened." Darcy took a step towards the door and pointed forcefully.

The group stayed silent, not wanting to look at either Darcy or Andrea. Darcy was fuming, that much was clear, but Andrea kept her eyes on the ground, letting the tears that flowed down her cheeks hit the wooden floor boards below her.

Creaking from the other side of the door way suddenly caught everybody's attention as Rick and Hershel stepped out and shut the door behind them. Rick nodded at Darcy and walked over to Lori, "He's going to be fine."

Hershel wiped his hands on his white cloth, a mixture of dirt and blood being cleaned from his fingers, "I gave him a sedative. Should give him the rest he needs and the time his body needs to heal. It may be awhile before he wakes up, but we need to keep the wound in his side clean or it'll get infected. Other than that, he should be fine."

An instant wave of relief took over Darcy's body, closing her eyes and rubbing them slightly with her fingers. "Can I go in and see him?" Her voice was raspy, tired, annoyed.

Hershel nodded and moved aside as Andrea spoke up, "Darcy, I-"

"Andrea," Darcy clapped her hands once together and brought them up to her mouth as she spoke, "Stay away from me."

The awkwardness and truthfulness of the entire situation made all but Lori and Shane stay put as the others left. Right when Darcy had her hand on the door knob to visit her friend, Shane caught her arm.

He whispered, "Is something going on between you two?" Shane's eyes motioned towards the door.

Darcy scoffed again, and made it completely obvious as she looked back and forth between him and Lori. She narrowed her eyes, "Really?" before getting a taken aback look from both of them and making herself disappear behind the door.

Daryl's eyes fluttered open, focusing on his surroundings in the small bedroom that was dimly lit. It was past nightfall, and the cool evening breeze flowed through the window and made the curtains be all but restless. His eyes flickered to the figure beside the bed, curled up onto the small sofa chair with their head resting on the arm. Darcy was fast asleep.

_[i]See[/i]._ He brought a small smile to his face as he remembered the conversation he had with his brother, regardless if it was real or not. [i]_She does care._ [/i]

Daryl grunted then, knowing he shouldn't be even worried about her or anybody else. He just needed to survive. He closed his frustrated blue eyes, tired from such a horrible and eventful day. Daryl was angry at himself for this, for letting Darcy reach into the folds of his mind.

This was exactly why he was defensive and angry most of the time; her ability to make him weak in the knees with a smirk, to make him wonder about her every second of everyday when she wasn't around. Of course it had never happened to him before with anybody else, and he had never allowed it to, until now.

Daryl opened his eyes again, wanting to watch her and for her to wake up and talk to him. It relieved him that she was there next to him, waiting for him to come to consciousness. Until that time, Daryl laid on his side and watched her sleep, stirring only in the slightest as she rested on the chair.

The door creaked open a slither, and Daryl turned round to see a hesitant Carol bringing a plate for him. His attention turned to her, and Darcy stirred again, but this time she was awake.

Peering through her groggy eyes and strands of hair that fell on her face, she kept silent and watched Daryl when he quickly pulled the sheets up over his body. Darcy had seen the scars already, and she knew if he brought it up then she would address it. She couldn't risk getting into another defensive fight with him again, it was too hard on her even though Darcy didn't show it that much. Instead, she watched how Carol would react.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

Daryl turned away from her, "As good as I look."

"I brought you some dinner." Daryl looked over his shoulder, "You must be starving." Carol then noticed Darcy, still seeming to be asleep in the corner of the room.

"I was gonna see if she was awake, but I'll bring her a plate too." Carol mentioned.

Daryl looked to Darcy, "Is she okay?" He grunted.

Carol nodded, "She was worried about you. Waited for you to get back." She watched as Daryl blinked and adverted his eyes back towards Darcy. Carol then leaned over, and Darcy saw the familiar flinch from Daryl as she kissed him lightly on his cheek.

Darcy then pieced everything together. From the scars, to the flinching, to the defensiveness of his childhood and how he knew how to stitch himself up. All Darcy wanted to do in that moment was cup his face and tell him it was all okay.

"Watch out, I got stitches." Daryl moaned. Darcy smirked.

"You need to know something," Carol started, causing Daryl to look her way. Her tone was soft, but serious. "You did more today for my little girl than her own daddy ever did in his whole life."

Daryl turned away again, "I didn't do anythin' Rick or Shane wouldn 'a done."

"I know." Carol smiled. "You're every bit as good as them. Every bit."

As the door opened and Carol left, Darcy slowly sat up. She brought her feet to the ground and leaned over so her elbows were resting on her knees. Darcy rubbed her face awake and pushed her hair back as she cleared her throat.

"You're awake." Daryl grunted.

Darcy lifted her head up and rested her chin on her fists. "What the hell happened Daryl?" Her voice was raspy, still upset and emotional.

"I fell down this, this cliff. Got attacked by walkers. Got shot." He shrugged his shoulders and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "Been a long day."

"I bet." Darcy sighed, and suddenly Daryl felt very exposed. The sheets had made their way down to his navel, and he quickly fumbled with them to get himself covered again.

Darcy spoke gently, "I already saw them."

Daryl leaned back, feeling the shock of being exposed and suddenly felt weak in front of her, like he wasn't the man he could be for her because of the scars he carried on his shoulders. Daryl didn't know what to make of it, or what to do.

"So, what are ya gonna make me go back and face my childhood 'er somethin'?"

Darcy shook her head, "No." She said simply.

"Well, then this is it." He said motioning to himself. "You got no use bein' around someone like me."

"Someone like you?" Darcy asked, raising her brow. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I don' know. You tell me." He said, referring to their argument the previous day.

"God Daryl, I didn't mean it." Darcy sighed and hung her head in her hands, "I was just so mad at you."

"Had a good reason to I suppose." Daryl lowered his voice, "I only did what I had to, to make sure you were gonna be okay."

"And what do you call this?" Darcy pointed to him lying in the bed, injured and with stitches. "You promised."

"I'm fine ain't I? Why do you care so much?" He asked, starting to feel uncomfortable with how much worry she actually showed.

"Why do you?" She retorted.

"I don't." Daryl scoffed. Darcy sat back in the chair with a sulk, scoffing right back at him as she did. It grew silent between them, both awkward and trying so hard to hide their feelings and how much they did really care if the other was safe.

Daryl's voice had suddenly grown soft, "Tell me what happened."

Darcy shot her head up, "With what?"

"With the little girl in the house." Daryl propped himself up on his elbow. "I wanna know."

"Tell me about your scars." Darcy said.

Daryl nodded, "Story for story."

"You first." Darcy commanded.

"My ol' man wasn't the kindest." Daryl looked at the ceiling. He had never said anything about it before, to anyone. Not even Merle after he left home. It was never mentioned or even referenced. That statement alone showed how sensitive the subject was. "Go on."

"That's all I get?" Darcy sighed, watching him nod his head and waiting for her to tell him her story.

"Fine." Darcy agreed. "The old group that I had left wasn't just an old group. Part of them was my family. My uncle, and my niece." She looked to the floor, "My aunt had died in a car accident a few months before the outbreak. The night that I told you a group of biters came through, my niece didn't make it. My uncle started loosing his mind, grew abusive and, since he was the leader of the group, started making the wrong decisions."

"Did he hit you?" Daryl asked.

"Threatened, more like. It was like trying to escape a prison." Darcy sighed. "The things that he did, to some of the survivors we found…" She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Darcy patted her thighs and stood up. "I have to change your bandages."

Darcy walked over to the dresser where Hershel had set up everything she would need. He felt that if a familiar pair of hands did the work, Daryl's body might not tense up under the pressure. Hershel didn't know how wrong he was.

"Scoot." She tapped Daryl's shoulder with the back of her hand and told him to lay on his side. It took no time cleaning and bandaging it right back up. As soon as she moved to the head bandage though, it was a different story.

"Alcohol?" He asked, wondering what she was cleaning his bullet wound with since it stung something awful. She nodded, grabbed it and leant over towards him. As he winced at the pain, a funny thing happened.

His fingers came down over hers, the most fleeting touch of skin on skin and for absolutely no reason at all, Darcy's pulse quickened. The hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention, but it wasn't unpleasant, far from it. Her eyes widened, her whole body feeling suddenly on edge, as if she needed to shiver and as she glanced up, she did just that. Daryl's eyes were on her, his expression totally blank but focused right on her face. They were close, too close. It startled her and, as if scolded, she stood up from the bed.

Darcy put her hands in her back pockets and stared at the lamp beside the bed, not knowing what else to do. Daryl was also sitting up straight at staring down at his feet, both of them unmoving in the slightest.

"I'll finish wrappin' it up." Daryl whispered.

Darcy brought her eyes up to him and wondered what was going through his mind. A warming sensation went through hers, and she knew she didn't want to leave him alone just yet.

She coughed to clear her throat. "No, I'll um, I'll do it." Darcy stepped forward again, determined not to let a slight touch scare her away. For some reason this time, seeing him all beaten up and witnessing him almost get killed made a simple touch spark more than what it was intended to be.

Taking the bandage in her hands, her fingertips gently caressed the sides of his hair and around his head, securing the bandage in place while being as gentle as she possibly could. Daryl had his eyes focused on her the entire time, and all he could think about was back in the ditch where she had appeared to him in his daydream, and how that dream ended.

When Darcy was done wrapping the white cloth around his wound, Daryl instinctively brought his hand up to her cheek, causing her eyes to flicker towards his. Both of their hearts were pounding within their chests, eyes were faint, not really knowing what was about to happen but at the same time, both had a very clear idea.

Daryl would have never done such a bold move ever in his life, but something in his gut told him now was the time and he was not one to waste an opportunity. The two hunters were already close, but Daryl narrowed the gap between them even further and for a second his eyes flickered from Darcy's sparkling amber ones to her soft, rose colored lips.

With a callously cold, nervous finger, Daryl tilted Darcy's chin upwards towards him, and she didn't fight it.

Suddenly, Daryl's lips met with hers. Shivers shot down her spine as his hand continued to hold her cheek softly and Darcy closed her eyes, just letting the feeling of yearning and desire that had been secretly avoided for so long seep through their lips like an electric charge.

Daryl moved his hand round to the back of Darcy's neck and pulled her lips into him even more, gently caressing them with his. Darcy felt the weight of her body buckle, moving her soft lips with his firm ones. He then slid his arms around her back and pressed his entire body into her while she cupped the sides of his face in her hands.

After a second that felt like eternity, Darcy felt his tongue pushing up gently against her lips and she slowly parted them. In an instant, Daryl took the chance and deepened the kiss softly and yet passionately as if he had to hold himself back from losing control.

The world seemed perfect in that moment, like nothing mattered anymore except for the two of them, flawlessly comfortable in each other's company…until the door opened.

Darcy shot up from the bed again, and Rick showed his face on the other side of the door. She had her hand up covering her mouth, and both her and Daryl's faces went a scarlet shade of red.

"Carol wanted to see if you were up. We saved you a plate of food." Rick said, looking oddly between the two.

Darcy nodded quickly and moved past him, not saying goodbye to Daryl or to Rick. The moment rushed up to her, and she suddenly was hit with a very disturbing realization of reality.


	19. Snarls, Growls, and Howls

Right now, it's silent as stone.

The slight fog hovered above the ground, causing the rays of morning sunlight that began to rise shine through with sharp streams. As the light began breaking up the fog and emitting bits and pieces of the Georgian woods, footprints of a lone hunter were also less hidden.

He watched her, as she stayed crouched among the forest floor, concealed by a clump of bushes and shifting her weight as she scanned the situation in front of her. He had gone after her there, curious to seek adventure with someone that always seemed to have it following her around.

Inside the woods though, he had to be careful. Walkers still roamed freely and there were added concerns like venomous snakes, rabid animals, swamp death traps that could sink your feet in and get trapped for days, and on top of it all, no real paths to get him back to camp if there was danger – he had to stay close, she knew how to get back.

About twenty yards away stood a buck much like the one he saw before, completely in bliss as it scavenged what it could from beneath the twigs and leaves covering the ground. Now, he got what he came for.

The wide smile took over his pale face, seeing her balance herself on her feet for one more moment before making her back completely straight and raising her bow in front of her. The boy grabbed his father's hat and moved it slightly on his forehead, revealing a line of dirt and dried sweat from his life-changing event a few days before.

He wanted to get closer, he [i]_had_[/i] to get closer. Taking a few steps, he kept his eye on both figures and anxiously waited for Darcy to release her bow and take down the large animal. A sudden snap of the twig underneath his feet shut everything down in a manner of seconds.

As the sound hit Darcy's ears she instantly ignored the target in front of her and swung around on her heels, aiming the bow at the young boy surprised to see no threat behind her. The deer, however, didn't stay around for much longer and bolted off quickly behind them.

Carl raised his hands, "I'm sorry." He panicked, knowing fully it was his fault. He knew he shouldn't have even followed her out in the woods in the first place – he had been disobeying his parents every chance he got, refusing to let them keep him cooped up in that house any longer.

Darcy's heart was racing, first thinking the worst was behind her but instead the threat was actually that of one of her friend's son. She sighed, lowering her bow and putting the arrow back in her quiver.

"It's alright." She mumbled, looking back over her shoulder, wondering if it was worth trying to track the buck. Carl thought the same.

"Are-are you going to go after it?" He pointed.

Darcy shook her head and pushed her hair back away from her face. "Not today." She turned around, still seeing the panicked look on the boy's face, and now disappointment.

Darcy motioned with her head, "C'mon. Let's head back." She walked towards Carl, stepping over the muddy bits of swamp as she did. Darcy was still wary since her and Glenn's experience with it a few days earlier.

As Darcy stepped in front of Carl, he spoke up. "You won't tell my parents will you?"

Darcy turned around, eyeing the boy carefully. "What would I tell them?"

Carl looked nervously back to where the deer used to be and to Darcy again, "About how I followed you into the woods? How-how I scared the deer away?"

Darcy faced Carl and shifted her weight on one leg, "I think there are more important things to be worrying about Carl."

Carl nodded, "Thanks."

"Just…be careful. No more sneaking around." Darcy smiled slightly, outstretching her hand and nodding with her head, "C'mon. Before your mom even realizes you are gone."

Carl nodded, letting the woman lead him back to camp in the earlier hours of the morning. As they emerged from the woods Darcy began to remember just how relentless the Georgia sun was in such premature hours of the day.

The two walked side by side, seeing their camp huddled around a small fire, smelling the fumes of a breakfast waiting for them to return. Darcy patted Carl's back, motioning him over to his parents before walking over to her tent. She took off her bow and quiver and tossed it somewhat carelessly onto her sleeping bag, scanning the group back over by the fire.

It had been an awkward couple of days, especially for Darcy. There is no way to explain it correctly because her mind was whirling around into even the darkest corners; assuming the worst possible situations between her and the rest of the group.

Did everyone think of her differently now? Were people giving her glares behind her back? Was Daryl going to pull back and avoid her? Or was he expecting something more?

Darcy knew fully well that her mind was playing tricks on her. No one seemed to notice the change in her attitude; she kept more quiet and distant but not too much to cause worry. It had helped her that she always stayed quiet unless she felt that it was absolutely necessary to state her opinion. On top of it all, it seemed like the argument with Andrea was simply ignored and swept under the rug.

But in Darcy's eyes, it felt like since that night her whole world had finally began to crash down on her. She had let something happen that she tried so desperately to avoid and she didn't know what this meant for tomorrow. Darcy knew she would just have to hope and pray everything would go back to normal and all was forgotten because at that point, she didn't know what she wanted.

It wasn't until she approached the fire with a set of familiar eyes lingering on her that told her everything was going to be okay.

Grabbing a small helping of scrambled eggs, she walked over to Daryl who sat in a lawn chair and sat herself down on the ground beside him, receiving the same comforting nod that was the key to their communication: [i]_it's forgotten, spur of the moment…but if it happens again, I wouldn't stop it.[/i]_

Darcy gave a slight smile and set down her eggs next to her, hiding her blush and relieved expression as she took a swig of the warm water out of the bottle. Glenn saw this and quickly approached.

"Hey are you done with those?" He said nervously, picking up her clearly unfinished plate and walking away towards Lori.

Darcy watched, "…No…?" Giving a raised eye glance at Daryl who simply shrugged. They both watched more, seeing Glenn scrape the few remaining bites on a much larger helping and served it to Lori, who in return, gave a stern glare.

Darcy wasn't an idiot, and this wasn't the first sign she saw. "Are you fucking kidding me?" She whispered, eyes not leaving the sights of the woman.

"What?" Daryl asked, looking back and forth between the two before taking one last bite and handing the rest of his plate to Darcy.

She took it thankfully, still holding her eyes on Lori. "Nothing." Darcy ignored it.

"Din' catch nothin' then, huh?" The husky country voice brought her out of her thoughts.

She shook her head. "Carl followed me, didn't give me a chance to."

"Hey um- guys?" Glenn spoke up, grabbing the attention of the entire group. The nervous tone never seemed to go away.

He hesitated, clapping his hands together and looking towards Dale for support. "The uh- the barn's full of walkers."

It takes awhile for the group to completely comprehend what Glenn was telling them. Immediate frightened stares were on Glenn, daring him to say another word. Darcy doesn't know how long it has been until Rick finally stands up, and without hesitation, marches towards the barn.

Darcy immediately follows him, hearing the shifting and heavy footsteps of the rest of the group not too far behind her. When they reach the barn, it is still quiet among the group until Shane steps forward, peering inside the sliver of wood held together by lock and chains on the door of the barn.

Darcy doesn't watch, but she can hear the snarls, growls, and howls of walkers inside. The twist in her gut says they have been unsafe and feet away from danger this whole time. She can feel the others react the same way, growing restless and taking a few steps back.

It wasn't until the door lurched forward at Shane that everyone starts to panic.

Shane marched back towards Rick slightly bumping his shoulder. "Man, you cannot tell me you're alright with this." His voice was a low growl, forcing the last few words as to try and hold him from losing any cool he had left. Ever since he had returned from the schoolyard without Otis, his walk has been slightly hunched, almost as if he was ready to lunge at anything and anyone if felt threatened.

"No I'm not but we're guests here, this isn't our land." Rick had the same tone, but more forceful trying to tell everyone how it really was.

"God this is our lives!" Shane threw off his hat.

"Lower your voice!" Glenn shot back.

Andrea tossed her head back in aggravation with Rick's answer and crossed her arms; "We can't just sweep this under the rug."

"It ain't right. Not remotely." T-Dog spoke.

"Okay, we've either got to go in there, we've got to make things right or we've just got to go." Shane paced. "Now we have been talking about Fort Benning for a long time."

"We can't go!" Rick put out a hand.

"Why, Rick? Why?" Shane asked.

"Because my daughter's still out there." Carol stepped forward.

"Okay." Shane gave a weak laugh, covering his mouth and shifting his weight. "Okay, I think it's time that we all start to just…consider the other possibility."

"Shane!" Rick yelled. "We're not leaving Sophia behind."

Daryl stepped forward, "I'm close to findin' this girl I just found 'er damn doll two days ago!"

"You found her doll, Daryl. That's what you did. You found a doll." Shane laughed again, not able to comprehend how he was the only one knowing the true state of Sophia.

Daryl lashed out, "Man, you don' know the hell you're talkin' about!"

"Now wait I'm just saying what needs to be said here – you get a good lead, it's in the first 48 hours –" Shane ranted, turning towards the group and ignoring the desperate cries of Rick to stop.

"Shane, stop!"

"Let me tell you something else, man -" Shane turned back towards Daryl and took a step forward. Rick was between the two men and Darcy was prepared to try to hold Daryl back if necessary, even though she knew it might not do any good. "-If she was alive and she saw you comin' all methed out with your buck knife, geek ears round your neck she would _run_ in the other direction, man!"

Daryl lunged, jumping over Rick's arms and trying to get ahold of Shane in some way. Darcy instinctively dove forward, putting herself between Daryl and Rick and pushing on his chest to back him away from the officer. It was a commotion, everyone yelling and fighting off, trying to tear both men away from each other. It was when Daryl realized Darcy was in front of him that he let her push him away, but not before sending a threatening glare towards Shane.

"Back off!" Rick yelled.

Shane scoffed, "Yeah that's right Daryl, have your woman pull you away like the little bitch you are."

Daryl shouted back and marched forward again, "I ain't nobody's bitch, ya fuckin' pussy!"

Lori grabbed Shane's shirt too with Rick again in the middle, "Boy I'll beat your ass! You don't come at me boy!"

"Enough!" Rick yelled.

"STOP!" Darcy shoved Daryl with all her might, getting a pretty good grip on his shirt and pushing him back a few steps. She whipped around, eyes fuming "Shane you need to get your shit together, this isn't your call, this is not your decision to make."

Rick put an arm out to Darcy; afraid she might make and advance on Shane as well. "Now just let me talk to Hershel. Let me figure it out."

Shane panicked again, "Man, what've you got to figure out!"

"Enough!" Lori pushed Shane back again.

"If we're gonna stay, if we're gonna clear this barn, I have to talk him into it." Rick pointed again towards the barn, "This is his land!"

"Hershel sees those things in there as people—sick people—his wife, his stepson." Dale approached Rick.

"You knew?" Rick asked, shocked more than just Glenn knew and didn't decide to say something earlier.

"Yesterday, I talked to Hershel."

"And you waited the night?" Shane snapped.

Dale turned, "I thought we could survive one more night. We did." He faced Rick again, "I was waiting till this morning to say something but Glenn wanted to be the one."

"The man is crazy, Rick, if Hershel thinks those things are alive or no!" The final yell of Shane had the bolts and wooden doors of the barn moving, being pushed forward with strength that was unfamiliar to the group and they quickly backed up, watching carefully and ready to run if anything came through.

"Let's go!" Rick called, hastily walking away from the barn and back to camp with the group not far behind whatsoever.

"We need our guns, Rick." Shane called.

"No." He shook his head, "I can work this out."

"And what if you can't? If Hershel thinks there's a cure and he's just hiding them in there…that's his family, he isn't going to let us walk in there and slaughter them." Andrea spoke up as the group reached the fire pit, eggs burning in the pan and smoke emitting from the fire from unattended cooking.

Rick rubbed his face, "We will. We have to figure this out, this is the first time we've been safe in awhile…"

"I wouldn't necessarily call it safe." Darcy mumbled, crossing her arms and looking at the ground to avoid attention being brought on her.

"I can work this out." Rick repeated, nodding his head and walking towards the white house without another word.

Darcy rubbed her face as she sighed heavily. She then looked up and pushed her hair back while putting a hand on her hip before deciding to walk off towards the horse barn. She wanted to be alone and she didn't want to deal with the insecurity Shane clouded over the camp.

As if on cue, the group dispersed. Darcy saw Shane march himself over to the barn, most likely going to rescan the chains and make sure it was safe. It was then Darcy suddenly missed her two pistols, and she realized how empty her side holsters where as they clicked against her thighs. It was growing inside her the anxiety and realization that maybe they weren't safe here, and maybe it was true that Sophia was long gone.

It ached her, admitting it to herself that the possibility of Carol's daughter was dead. But it was something that she would eventually have to accept with the rest of the group. Darcy held it in the back of her mind that she knew Shane was right, she just couldn't say it out loud. What ate at her more was the conversation she had with Carol that nobody knew about. Carol had high doubts now, and wasn't exactly certain Sophia would be found. Darcy promised not to say anything, especially to Daryl, who has put his life on the line too many times to count to bring the little girl back.

When Darcy reached the stalls, she leaned against the empty one across from Nelly. Darcy unbuckled her holster, wondering why she even carried it around and threw it to the ground. The weight was unfamiliar now.

"Ya comin' with me or what?" A voice echoed through the barn, and Darcy turned, surprised to see Daryl struggling to carry a saddle in his arms.

"What?" She asked, watching him toss the saddle over the bench and then bend over as he winced in pain. "Are you serious?" Darcy crossed her arms. "You can't go out there again."

"I'm fine." Daryl walked over to Nelly and opened her stall.

"You bitched about me all the time when my arm was in stitches and now you're in even worse condition and you're not even going to listen to your own advice?" Darcy raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I don't care."

Darcy shifted her weight uncomfortably. "Well, I do. Rick's going out later – can't you just wait to go with the others?"

"I ain't gonna sit around 'n do nothin'."

"If you go by yourself you're gonna get hurt again, Daryl. Don't be stupid."

Daryl turned around, "Tha's why I'm askin' ya to come with me." Daryl played with the reigns in his hands before turning back around and looping them over Nelly's head. "Don' know why that's such a problem with you."

"We don't know if we're gonna find her, Daryl." Darcy mumbled, ashamed to look at anything but the ground.

She heard his feet shift and face her, taking a few steps forward hesitantly before she gathered up some strength and looked back up at him. "What?" He whispered. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"We don't." She shrugged. "I don't."

"I ain't doin' this for you, Darcy." He shook his head, narrowing his eyes in a mocking way and lowering his voice to a growl.

Darcy crossed her arms, regretting what she was about to tell him. "Carol doesn't either, Daryl. She said so this morning." She let out a deep breath. "We can't lose you too."

Daryl locked eyes with Darcy, taking a step back and behaving as if he didn't know if he should say something or if he should just continue with the search. In frustration, he walked past her, bumping her shoulder slightly all the while not taking his eyes off of hers. Grabbing hold of the saddle, he threw it as far as he could, but it didn't last long. The pain in his side shocked him, making him bend over and wince from the ache.

Darcy walked over, grabbing his left arm to try and hoist him up but he pushed her away. "Keep your hands off me!" He yelled, walking away as if defeated. "Stupid bitch."

Darcy watched as Daryl left, hearing the last bit of words he had saved. She shook her head, knowing she shouldn't have said anything but on the other hand, knew if she hadn't he would've wound up getting hurt or worse all over again. So she ignored his comments, knowing that he was frustrated and felt defeated, like there was no hope in finding this little girl. It had run out as if completely.

Darcy leaned against the empty stall door in a sulk, sliding her back down and sitting in the loose hay of the barn floor. If she could help it, she would never leave and instead bury herself in the soft straw and lay still until this chaos was all over.


	20. Colorado

Darcy found herself along a small pond just a few ways away from the farm, but not too far where she couldn't see the others. She sat, just on the edge near the tall grass along the bank, staring off into the murky waters and tossing rocks in if her fingertips happened to graze over one while feeling the grass.

She stared down at her shoes, watching the slight breeze fold the tips of grass over her worn leather boots. The weather, even though it's been getting closer to winter, has been scorching hot and dry as a bone. Darcy was thankful though, for the dry weather. Humidity was not a friend to her.

The breeze reminded her of home. Darcy missed the cooler weather of Colorado, of her little town just outside Black Hawk. Images suddenly flashed through her mind of the memories there, good and bad.

That night the outbreak hit her town. It was mockery on the news, no one really knew what was happening and since the "disease," as they called it, was mostly on the east coast, no one thought it would reach them. Darcy started to replay it all in her mind; her blood turning hot, she still remembered it well.

_Darcy sighed, pushing open the heavy wooden doors and walking into the small restaurant while tying her black apron around her waist. She was back in Georgia visiting her Uncle and Niece, thankfully still having a job to come back to in case she needed to work. _

"_Hey girl." She nods to Jesse at the hostess stand, receiving a genuine smile back. _

"_Hey Darcy. You're training tonight." Jesse plays with her hair that's tied to the side and hangs over her shoulder. "Christie, I think her name is."_

_Darcy gave a weak smile, "Oh boy." _

"_Remind me that I have to talk to you later." She points a finger at Darcy, causing Darcy to give a peculiar face. _

"_Sure." Darcy laughs, walking away through the dining room tables and back into the kitchen. She's tired, exhausted even. More stress on the home front that never ceases to end. She's just grateful she's at work, with her friends whom she almost considers as her own family sometimes. _

_In no time, it's busy and growing dark out. Although, it's not too busy that Darcy can't handle it, but for her new trainee, it may be another story. _

"_Alright," Darcy walked up to the computer to put in the order she and Christie, the trainee, just received. "Go ahead and start a new table."_

"_Hey Darcy have you ever purposefully spilled a whole pitcher of water on someone?" Alyssa stopped by the server's station, crossing her arms and throwing a dirty look over her shoulder towards the outside patio._

_Darcy gave a smile, trying to hide it. "No, I've thought about it though."_

"_Well, I'm highly considering it." She grunted._

"_What happened?" Darcy asked, "Oh wait, no. It's this one." She pointed towards the computer to try and still pay attention to what Christie was doing._

"_I tried asking –" _

_Glass shatters in the kitchen behind them. The girls stop, turning around to see if any pieces found their way out in the dining room. Servers ran out from the swinging doors, slamming into each other until the people at the bar stood up and started backing away too._

"_What the hell?" Darcy mumbled, standing on her toes trying to get a look over the wave of crowds that passed her. Alyssa gave the same look, walking over to the side a few steps away from the others and shrugged back at Darcy when she couldn't see anything either._

_Screams then hit their ears, making Darcy jolt backwards and near a wall. In an instant, it was pure chaos. Everyone saw the few dismembered bodies growling and lunging at someone every which way, like they came out of no where and no one could escape it. _

_Darcy pulled herself along the wall, backing up into the darkness of the corner and stayed put, heart pounding and mind racing. When she opened her eyes, the entire restaurant was clear and the lights were flickering. She knew she had to get out, but Darcy could only shake in her work shoes and hear the sound of her own frantic breathing._

_Peering around the corner, a hiss came up next to her. Darcy jumped back as quietly as she could, hoping the limping body wouldn't see her, wouldn't attack her. _

_Darcy closed her eyes to try and calm herself down. Tears fell down her cheeks, hoping to God they would walk far enough to where she could run out and head for the patio door. _

_Opening her eyes again, she took her chance as she sprinted towards the opening, only misjudging it by a few steps. A hand enclosed on her shoulder, making Darcy whip around and see a pale face with only shredded skin covering its cheek bones lunge after her. _

_Struggling, she was pulled to the ground. Darcy had her hand clamped around its neck as it continued to snap, and she reached into her apron and grabbed the only thing she could: a wine key. _

_Plunging the sharp spiral into its eye socket, blood spurted out and splattered onto Darcy's skin around her forehead. The body instantly stopped moving, and Darcy leaped off of it and scrambled backwards on all fours, kicking it away as she did. _

_Hearing the other snarls of walkers heading her way, she bolted, not looking back but only passing the bodies of some of her fellow servers, and friends. _

"I've been lookin' for ya." A low voice called out to her, making Darcy jump up again at the sound.

She glared at Daryl, still remembering their fight earlier that morning and stood up. "Why, so you can yell at me again?"

Daryl watched her as she wiped off her pants and looked back up at him. "No." He glanced at the ground and played with his hands.

Darcy crossed her arms, studying him. "Did you go? To look for Sophia?"

Daryl flickered his eyes back up to hers, and shook his head again. "No."

Darcy put her hands on her hips and tapped on finger on her side, "So, what then?"

Daryl squinted his eyes at her, "You really believe we won' find 'er?"

"You really believe we will?"

"I know we will." He nodded slowly.

"How can you be so sure?" Darcy asked, tilting her head. The bitterness in her voice was clear.

He shrugged, "I gotta be. No one else is."

"Rick is."

"Rick don' know shit." Daryl scoffed. "He's tryin 'a make things right. Clear his conscience."

"And you then?" Darcy stepped forward. "Why are you so desperate to find that little girl?"

"I ain't desperate. I think she's still out there." Daryl said matter-of-factly, but quietly. "Wouldn' leave anybody behind. That's why we gotta find her."

"And what if she's not herself anymore? What then?" Darcy asked.

"Then we move on." He nodded. "Better than not knowin' anythin'."

The tone in his voice shouted out to Darcy. She knew inside, he was pleading for her to agree with him, to let him know he wasn't the only one crazy enough to believe the group would actually find Sophia.

His blue eyes begged her to answer. Darcy sighed as she nodded and looked up to Daryl, "We'll find her."

Daryl's lips twitched slightly, almost as if he was about to smile. As they both turned to head back to camp, he nudged her with his elbow softly. "Hey, I'm sorry 'bout what happened this mornin'."

Darcy shrugged, "You wanted to look for her. We should probably meet up with Rick anyway, about starting back on the trail."

Daryl looked up, "Looks like we're missin' the party over there." He nodded, causing Darcy to raise a hand to shield the sun from her eyes.

The camp, not just their group but also the entire household was gathered outside Hershel's house. It seemed everything was calm, but Andrea was out front too.

"Wasn't Andrea supposed to go with Rick?" Darcy asked, as they got closer.

"The hell?" Daryl mumbled.

"…He went off with Hershel. We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago." She spoke.

"Yeah you were." Daryl spoke up.

"Rick told us he was going out." Darcy followed behind Daryl; eyes of the entire group minus Rick, Hershel, Shane, and Dale were on them.

"Damn it, isn't anybody takin' this seriously?" Daryl turned and pointed. "We got us a damn trail."

Footsteps were heard approaching, and Shane came up with the bag of guns that were carried out from Atlanta. Darcy stepped back as he walked up to them.

"Oh, here we go." Daryl mumbled. "What's all this?" Asking Shane and pointing at the guns.

"You with me, man?" Shane said, handing him a shotgun.

Daryl didn't hesitate. "Yeah." Grabbing the barrel and loading the gun, Daryl walked behind Shane.

"Time to grow up." He announced, turning to Andrea while giving Darcy back her two pistols. Darcy eyed Shane carefully as she took them and checked the clip. "You already got yours?"

"Yeah?" Andrea said, looking over to Darcy who had the same confused look. "Where's Dale?"

"He's on his way."

"Thought we couldn't carry?" T-Dog asked, taking his gun as well.

"Yeah well, we can and we have to." Shane retorted, facing the steps of the white house and raised his voice, "Now look, it was one thing sittin' around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe, but now we know it ain't."

Shane looked around before approaching Glenn, "What about you, man? You gonna protect yours?" Glenn reacted the same as Darcy, hesitating before taking the gun. "That's it."

Shane turned to Maggie, "Can you shoot?"

"Can you stop?" Maggie snapped. "You do this, you hand out these guns, and my dad will make you leave tonight."

"We have to stay, Shane." Carl walked down the steps from the house.

Lori came from inside, hearing the nervous voices of the others, "What is this?"

"Don't worry buddy, we ain't going anywhere okay?" Shane put the bag down, "Now look, Hershel, he's just gotta understand. Okay? He – well, he's gonna have to."

Shane reached inside his belt and pulled out a smaller pistol, kneeling down in front of Carl and holding it out for him to take, "Now we need to find Sophia. Am I right? Now I want you to take this. You take it, Carl, and you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes, go on and take it."

Daryl held the shotgun over his shoulder and looked to Darcy just when she turned to face him with the same unsure expression.

Lori gritted her teeth as she stepped in front of Carl. "Rick said no guns. This is not your call, this is not your decision to make!"

"Oh shit." T-Dog gasped, and the whole camp turned towards his line of sight. Off in the distance were Rick, Hershel, and Jimmy, struggling with an outstretched pole as they carried walking biters towards the barn.

"What is that?" Shane hissed. "What is that?!" He sprinted, shortly surrounded by the rest of the group doing the same.

"What the hell you doing?!" Shane circled the three men and walkers. It was if they were back on the road all over again as Daryl and Darcy took point and raised their guns towards the limping flesh-eaters, giving each other the familiar nod, and prepared to do what was necessary.

"Shane, just back off!" Rick yelled, still struggling to keep the walker in front of him.

"Why do your people have guns?" Hershel asked.

"Are you kidding me?! You see?!" Shane pointed, "You see what they're holding on to?!"

"I see _who_ I'm holding on to!" Hershel called back.

Shane continued to frantically circle Rick and the others, "Nah, man, you don't!"

"Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk!" Rick called out.

"What you want to talk about, Rick? These things ain't sick. They're not people. They're dead!" Shane spun around, "Ain't gonna feel nothing for them 'cause all they do, they kill! These things, right here!" Shane pointed, walking up to Andrea and the others, "They're the things that killed Amy. They killed Otis! They're gonna kill all of us."

Darcy watched Shane as he continued to circle and yell to the group, not noticing that she had stepped too in-bound with one of the walkers. Daryl shot forward, grabbing her shoulder forcefully, and pulled her back.

"Shane, shut up!" Rick called out.

"Get behind me." Daryl told her.

Shane's voice suddenly calmed, "Hey, Hershel man, let me ask you something." He readied his gun. "Could a living, breathing person – could they walk away from this?"

Shots were fired at the walker Hershel held on to. Three bullets to its chest, and the look on Hershel's face instantly went blank as the walker continued to march onward.

"Stop it!" Rick yelled.

"That's three rounds in the chest. Could someone who's alive, could they just take that!? Why is it still coming?" Shane pointed his weapon again, pulling the trigger two more times. "That's its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming!?" Three more shots.

"Shane enough!" Rick screamed.

Shane stepped forward, unafraid of the action he was about to take. "Yeah, you're right man. That is enough."

With one more shot to the forehead, the walker was completely down and unmoving. The snare pole fell from Hershel's fingertips, still trying to comprehend that the thoughts he built up inside his own mind where lies this whole time.

Darcy took a step back, resting her hands on the top of her head. Shane had officially lost his grip, and there was no way Hershel would allow the group to stay now.

"Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's gone!" Shane screamed. "Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us! Enough! Rick, it ain't like it was before!"

Rick looked onward, his friend, his brother, acting out in a desperate attempt to save the group when there was no real threat at the moment that they needed to be saved from. The trust, the bond, it was officially broken in this moment, and Rick looked at his partner knowing the real Shane would never come back.

"Now if ya'll want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I'm talking about fighting right here, right now." Shane bolted off behind him, attacking the walls of the barn and the chains that held it together, successfully breaking each and every one of them with little resistance.

"Take the snare pole!" Rick turned to Hershel, who was kneeling on the ground and completely in a panicked daze. "Hershel! Take the snare pole! Listen to me, man, please! Hershel! Take it!"

Un-responding, Rick turned back to Shane, "No, Shane. Do not do this brother! Please!"

With one last tug, the doors were open to the barn with Shane completely ignoring the calls of the camp behind him. "Come on! Come on, we're out here!" He called to the dead beings inside, reaching for his pistol once more and backing up beside the others.

It was instant, just like the night Darcy remembered earlier that day. Walkers poured out of the barn, and without hesitation they sauntered towards the group. Instincts took over and Darcy pushed past Daryl and began shooting at them, hitting the neck and then the jaw of the first one that wandered out. It was in no time that Daryl, Andrea, T-Dog, and Glenn soon followed.

It was a blood bath. One by one each walker that ambled out of the barn was taken down. Rick did not shoot, he stayed back, knowing he would have to take the responsibility of his group no matter what but he himself would not be a part of this mayhem.

The chaos seemed to be over quickly, no more than a dozen or so that had been cooped up inside the old barn. Darcy breathed heavily, her heart racing as she looked to Daryl just as he lowered his gun.

Everyone instantly stopped when it appeared to be the last of the remaining bodies inside. It was silent as stone, but sounds of another walker soon reached the ears of the group. Daryl readied his weapon again, preparing to be the one who had to take it down.

The shuffling of feet and groans became clearer as the body reached the doorway and a pale trembling hand wrapped itself around the wooden frame. As the blue and green sneakers came into view, so did the silhouette of the little girl they had been searching for all along.

Darcy took a sharp breath in and stepped back in angst. Sophia stumbled out of the barn, her eyes glazed over and on her shoulder revealed an old bite wound from whoever had turned her. It wasn't mistakable, her jaws snapped and her hands reached out to the heartbroken friends and family in front of her.

Carol ran forward, determined to get to her daughter when Daryl caught her and tumbled to the ground. Her cries projected the misery and tragic state of the group, who the rest stood in silent, none wanting to step forward and do what they knew needed to be done.

Darcy didn't know how long it had been until Rick clears his throat and strong-willingly walks towards the small girl in the rainbow, blue t-shirt.

As Sophia stepped over the bodies of the dead, she ignored the pistol of the Sherriff being raised, and fell with a thud when it was all over.


	21. Interlude

Silence is a powerful force.

It can produce profound emotions or conjure startling sensory experiences, and it seems inextricably linked to the passage of time. It can creep into the very crevasses of an individual's mind where they wish not to enter. It can alter the thoughts of a person, forcing them to feel weak, vulnerable, and even helpless. Silence can deter all hope and effort to remain vigilant to a cause, turning cheeks to focus towards a path of destruction, mayhem, and angst, where a person knows pain cannot be avoided but faced head on.

And in this moment, it was inescapable.

Darcy saw it then, the desperate attempt as to why Daryl _needed_ to find Sophia: she stood for the chance that hope was still real, that better circumstances could be fought for and reached.

The times that she now lived in were inevitable; death surrounded her and those she had grown to love. At any moment it could reach out its pale cold hand and consume the ones around her. Death couldn't be stopped no matter how hard she fought, and the more Darcy let silence consume her mind, the more it told her that everything in the world was lost forever and could never be recovered again.

But, Darcy was stronger than that. It was just a spark, but it was enough to keep her going. And when she flickered her eyes to the one friend who found her in the woods only weeks ago, holding the mother of the lost child, the spark reignited itself into the flame that got her through those days when she was all alone and struggling to survive.

He would just have to be the hope she held on to, the only thing she knew that would keep her alive; she just prayed she wouldn't fall too deep so that in case death took him, it would be the end of her as well.

Although, she feared she may have already approached that line.

Hey readers - obviously this is not a chapter per say, but a sign of things to come for the future. I really wanted to take a different approach on this story from the beginning, to set it aside from the other stories that all seem so similar. So basically, the title defines this chapter. No, this does not mean I'm taking a break or refusing to go onward, I'm actually working on the next part now. It's just the transition in Darcy's mind, essentially, and for the others as well. Please, let me know what you think - and even what you believe is going to happen. The rest of the second season is pretty explanatory, but come third, I really hope I'll make you guys have your jaws on the floor.

Jane


	22. Pointing Fingers

"Beth collapsed."

The voice was out of breath, panicky, and desperate. Darcy looked up from the barn stall with a handful of hay, feeding the greedy horse she came to love. It was Lori who stared back at her with wide eyes and hands on her hips, waiting for any type of response.

They were all exhausted. Emotionally, mentally, and physically. Darcy could feel that any one of them was on the verge of a breakdown, or worse. After moving the bodies, Darcy just wanted to be alone and she was sure that more than half of the group felt the same way.

Darcy blinked, "She just lost her mother – she's in shock." Subtly shaking her head thinking the answer was obvious, Darcy turned back to the horse.

"No," Lori sighed, putting her hands together and walking towards Darcy. "I know that, I just…we can't find Hershel and she's blowin' up a fever and Rick went after him awhile ago and they aren't back yet and…"

Darcy turned and narrowed her eyes at the frantic woman, "Whoa, Lori, calm down." Lori took a deep breath and brought her hand up to her forehead.

Darcy let the few strands of hay fall to the ground as she took a step towards her. Rubbing her hands to get the feeling off she asked, "What do you want me to do?"

Lori looked down, embarrassed almost, she was asking the two who had constantly been searching for Sophia to go out on another wild goose chase.

"I need you, and Daryl, to go on a run into town and bring them back." Her eyes were pleading, completely serious, and they told Darcy she clearly had no idea what else she could do.

Darcy crossed her arms, "Why us? Why not Shane or-"

"Shane is a loose cannon and I don't trust him – and after what he did, I don't think Rick or Hershel would even listen to him." Lori shook her head and Darcy nodded, satisfied with that answer. "You and Daryl both work well with each other and you're quiet, you're careful…in case they're in trouble, you two are the only ones able to bring them back."

Darcy put her hands on her hips, and looked towards the ground in thought. "I haven't seen Daryl since Sophia's funeral…"

"He's out by that old rock wall." Lori jerked her head to the side. "Moved his tent out there this morning."

"What?" Darcy asked in disbelief. She walked briskly to the entrance of the barn, bringing both hands up to shield her eyes and peer off into the distance. She knew she couldn't see him even if she tried, that spot was on the far edge of the forest line, far away from everybody. Far away from her.

Lori followed her, "I need you to talk to him. He won't listen to anybody else. He even yelled at Carol."

Darcy scoffed and backed away, "And what makes you think he won't do the same to me?"

"Darcy, please. I'm begging you, I-I don't know what else to do and I've got Carl-"

Darcy sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Alright, I'll talk to him."

Lori let out a relieved sigh, "Thank you," She stepped forward, hugging the woman tightly, "Thank you."

-

Darcy wrapped her arms around herself and stared upwards at the cloudy grey skies. It looked like a storm was brewing. She had on her fitted leather jacket and her hair tied back in a braid. Walking slowly through the camp pathway and onto the grass, Darcy peered again across the grounds. Lori said she'd seen Daryl slipping out there after Sophia's funeral so she'd guessed that was a natural place to start looking.

Trying to remember exactly where the old brick wall was, she headed right as she continued to walk across the empty fields, eyes scanning the sloping landscape ahead of her for any trace of him. Her eyes grazed across the tree line…and stopped.

There he was, slumped against the rocks, sharpening a stick with his knife that he would most likely use for a new arrow. He looked up and saw her, holding her emotionless gaze for a moment before looking back down at the forming-arrow as it strained against his hold by the fire.

"Tryin' to get away from you people." He called over, his voice giving nothing away.

"_'You_ people?'" Darcy asked, narrowing her eyes and looking away. When Daryl didn't answer, Darcy walked over around the wall, seeing the tent that was in fact set up for him, and only him. Darcy hung her head in aggravation as she sauntered back over to him.

Darcy waited, wondering which of them would give in first and walk across to the other. After a moment she sighed, and decided to take the higher stand. She headed over, hands on her hips as she watched her footing and stood in front of him, glancing at him quickly before putting her hands in the back pockets of her black skinny jeans.

"What?" He asked blandly towards her, not bothering to glance up at her. Daryl knew he'd cave if he did.

"Did you forget that we share the same tent?" Darcy looked at him sadly.

"Your stuff's in the RV." Daryl motioned his newly carved arrow lazily towards camp.

Darcy bit her lip forcibly, trying to hold back her quick temper. "Lori asked us to go and get Rick and Hershel. I need you to come with me." She didn't ask, and her tone was anything but patient.

"Her bitch went window-shopping. If she wants him, she can go 'n fetch him herself." The sound of the knife clawing against the stick was getting on Darcy's last nerve. "I got better things to do."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Darcy snapped, making Daryl look up at her finally.

"What's wrong with me?" He yelled back, standing up and circling her slightly. "Listen to me. You tell Olive Oyl I was out there lookin' for that lil' girl every single day." He pointed with his knife, "I took a bullet and 'n arrow in the process so don' you tell me 'bout gettin' my hands dirty! She wants those idiots have a nice ride. I'm done lookin' for people."

"So that's it then?" Darcy took a step forward, "You're gonna hide out here away from everybody else because you just can't be bothered with? What about me?"

"What about you?" He narrowed his eyes and gave an annoyed shrug, completely calloused.

Darcy held his quiet yet angry gaze, listening to the sounds of the thunder clouds starting to roll in and as the wind picked up around them. Suddenly, Darcy felt rather guilty. For the past few weeks she'd practically abandoned all she promised herself she wouldn't do; and now the twist in her gut told her she should have listened to her instincts. Darcy shook her head and held up her hand to him, not wanting to deal with that conversation whatsoever, and turned to walk away.

"It meant nothin'." Daryl called out to her, his voice taunting her with every word as they rolled off his southern tongue.

Darcy stopped in her tracks and turned back to face him, eyes nervous and agitated. She tilting her head trying to understand if he meant anything but what she knew he was referring to.

"What meant nothing?"

"That kiss." Daryl curved his lips into a smirk and held a certain glint in his eyes, the kind that was purposely trying to knock her down with him. "'Meant _nothin'_." He spat, as he took a confident stride towards her.

Darcy scoffed, though, not letting him know in the slightest he had started a spark and stood her ground. "You mean your pathetic attempt to show that you actually care about someone other than yourself? Don't worry, it's long forgotten."

"I don' care 'bout ya." Daryl shook his head. "Don' care about nobody here."

"Bullshit." Darcy said, once again trying to turn away from him.

"You're one to talk." He called out to her again. "Followin' me around like some sick puppy. Not knowin' where else to go or what to do with y'self." He sneered.

Fury took over her. Darcy walked back over towards him, "Let's take a step back, shall we? _You_ were the one who followed me back on the road and had Rick ask me to find _your_ dick of a brother…"

Daryl stepped forward with the mention of Merle threateningly, but Darcy continued onwards, "…you're the one who convinced me, who _wanted_ me to stay with the group in the first place, the one who said you're _sorry_ after every mood-swing and temper tantrum you threw in my face…"

Darcy pointed at him, raising her voice with every word. "…You were the one who insisted in wrapping my arm up and hiding my bow so I couldn't use it and then said, '_I only did it to make sure you were gonna be okay_.'" She mocked.

"Yeah, but no, you're right. I followed _you_ around." Darcy saw as Daryl avoided her gaze, as he stared at the ground, not having anything to retort back but merely blinked softly and listened as if she was actually getting though to him. He listened though, not interrupting or even making a sound as he struggled to take it all in. Darcy was surprised he hadn't walked away by now and actually listened.

"And I didn't say I didn't care about you, Daryl, or for anyone else for that matter. I'm not some arrogant asshole who's too afraid to admit that I care for the people in this group. And that's why if you aren't coming with me, I'm still going after Rick and Hershel. I'll go by myself if I have to."

"You ain't goin'." Daryl stepped forward again, and Darcy just scoffed and walked backwards away from him shaking her head.

"What does it matter to you? You clearly want nothing to do with me," She bobbed her head towards their old tent, "and you've already said you don't care about anyone but yourself. So please, don't strain yourself pretending to worry."

Daryl's tone instantly softened along with his features. "Darcy –"

"If this is your way of grieving for Sophia, go right ahead – I saw your face when she came out of that barn – I know how much it meant to you about finding her and I'm sorry that it ended up the way it did. But these things are going to keep happening and we can't stop it." Darcy took a step forward.

"But if you do this, soon you're going to realize that the more you push yourself away, the less we are going to try and bring you back."

The silence returned as both hunters tried to comprehend just how much everything would change from then on between them. Daryl didn't say another word, but let his hair flow smoothly against his forehead with the slight breeze as his icy blue eyes continued to stare down at the driven and bold-headed woman in front of him. Her amber eyes bore into his, expecting him to come back to camp, to go with her to find Rick, to do something. But across from her, Daryl said nothing; he just stood motionless and watched.

It was Daryl who eventually broke the stare that gave him the familiar frightening feeling and stared back down at the dusted ground as he heard her give a slight 'huff' and dropped her head. A minute of silence passed between the two, only the slight sounds of the wind and the moo's of the plenty of cattle around the farm reached their ears. With one last cold, but clouded with sadness glance, Darcy turned around and headed back towards the house, leaving Daryl behind without a second thought.

As he watched Darcy turn her back on him, walking slowly away, he tried to keep telling himself that she didn't matter. In the back of his mind though, he knew it wasn't true.

-

Darcy walked the gravel road with her usual supplies: her pack, guns, bow, and a map. Defiant of Daryl's poor command to stop her, she took it upon herself to go out and pick up on the trail that would lead her to Rick, Glenn, and Hershel. She had asked Maggie to borrow the county map, saying that the town wasn't too far as a walking distance. With the sun slowly setting over the horizon, however, Maggie didn't recommend it.

Of course, Darcy didn't listen as she continued that streak for the day. A car would be too loud anyways, and with Daryl's past experience with a horse, Darcy didn't want to take her chances with that either. So now, she found herself facing a long, deserted walk towards a town that she had never been too, probably setting herself up to a full pack of walkers any minute now.

Darcy twirled the map in all different directions, seeing if there was any easier way to get there through the woods or a field. Sighing, she folded up the faded piece of paper and stuck it into her pack, continuing to walk in the direction that would eventually lead her to the small town.

Suddenly, headlights appeared around her, and she quickly turned around with her hand up covering her eyes at the car a few hundred feet away from her. What made her dive into the ditch along the side of the road was the fact that the car was completely unfamiliar to her.

Keeping low, she waited as the rolling engine passed by in the direction she was headed. She had to get moving, they would find the town and maybe even run into trouble with the three of her own. It was beginning to reach that point where now, the others weren't going to be too fond of letting anyone else in the group after all they'd been through. Darcy quickly counted her blessing of Daryl finding her when he did.

_Damn you Dixon_. She quietly swore to herself, still on edge from their heated fight.

Darcy shook her head and put that out of her mind for now and instead picked up her pace. She ran, knowing walking wasn't going to do any good if trouble came to that town, surprisingly only to come through to a clearing that held the sign for the town only a few minutes from where she was. She couldn't see the car that had passed her on the road before, but she still kept quiet and low, not taking any chances.

Darcy decided to take a perimeter run first. The town was surprisingly small, well, the section where the bar was. Maggie had told her to look there because most likely, that's where they'd be since Hershel "used to be a drunk," in Maggie's words.

Darcy edged around the side of the building, trying to peer into the dust and dirt covered windows that couldn't let her see a speck inside. Sighing, she pulled out her bow and readied it in her grasp as she came upon the front doors. Putting her ear up to the old wood, she could hear faint sounds of talking coming from the other side.

Darcy stood up, pulling her bow back just in case and pushing the door open with her left food slowly before stepping inside and receiving immediate stares from not only those she came for, but two strangers as well.

The first unfamiliar man stood up, giving her a slither of a smile as he held his back towards Rick and the others. "Well, hello beautiful."

Darcy kept silent, still having her bow aimed at the man when she saw the glint in Rick's eyes. They bore into hers as if he was warning her about the two strangers. She said nothing in reply.

"Is she 'part of your group?" Rick asked the man, and Darcy immediately understood.

The man who stood up to greet her shook his head as he looked back at Rick, "Nope, Tony, you seen this lady before?"

A larger man in the corner was kneeling against an old piano, "Nope, sure is a shame though."

Darcy rolled her eyes as he spoke again, "Sweetheart why don't you set that weapon of yours down and come have a drink with us? Don't want to hurt yourself." He winked, sitting down again and motioning with his hand for her to follow.

Darcy watched him carefully glancing over at Hershel. He gave her one shake of his head, telling her not to chance the shot even though he knew she could make it quite easily. So she listened, lowering her bow and walking over to the far side of the counter away from the others so she played off Rick's plan. Darcy set her bow carefully on the counter but didn't take her hand off of it, the eyes of the sleeveless man still on her.

He gave a slight laugh, "I'm Dave."

She hesitated, "Darcy."

"We're meeting all sorts of new friends today eh Tony?" Dave glanced back over his shoulder and the large man snickered. "Well, this here is Rick, Glenn, and Hershel, who just quit drinking."

Darcy let her eyes glance to the other three, staying quiet. "So what, you-are you all alone out here too?"

"Just traveling through." She said.

Dave nodded, "Don't have much on you for just traveling through." He smiled, watching Darcy as she flickered her eyes towards Rick and Glenn. "You mean to tell me you've survived this long on your own, pretty lady?"

"Are you uncomfortable with the idea that I have?" Darcy narrowed her eyes.

Dave put up his hands in a playful way, "Nope. Just trying to pick up survival tips since, uh, these guys won't tell us where their farm is." Darcy nodded and looked down at her hand that clasped her bow. Her knuckles where turning white.

Dave turned back to Rick; "You won't take her in either, huh?"

"I prefer to be by myself." Darcy answered for Rick, giving him a nod.

"Well, hold on I mean- this farm it sounds sweet. Don't it sound sweet, Tony?" Dave asked his friend, who the whole time, could not stop staring up Darcy.

"Sure does. Hey baby girl, you can come stand by me if you don't feel safe over there by yourself." Tony said in a sickly sweet, malicious tone, as he winked and brought his shot glass to his lips to take a sip.

In a quick motion, before the others had their guns raised, Darcy had lifted her bow and shot the glass directly out of his pudgy fingers, shattering it against the wall behind him.

"Nice shot!" Dave was laughing, standing up and having his rifle raised and aimed lazily at Darcy. She kept an emotionless gazed with her eyes slightly narrowed, holding back a smirk at the large man looking back and forth between his shattered glass and his hand, still trying to figure out what exactly happened.

"You bitch!" Tony yelled.

"Now, now, Tony. It's all in good fun. Let's get back to this farm." Dave told him, sitting back down and placing his pistol on the table to show everyone he was calm.

"How about a little southern hospitality?" It was clear Dave was set on taking their farm, and Darcy watched as she re-lowered her bow and waited for Rick to answer. "We got some buddies back at camp, been having a real hard time. I don't see why you can't make room for a few more. We can pool our resources, our manpower."

"Look, I'm sorry. That's not an option." Rick shook his head.

"Doesn't sound like it'd be a problem." Dave raised his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, we can't." Hershel's soft and exhausted voice spoke up.

"We can't take in anymore." Rick finished.

Dave chuckled and put a finger up to his temple, "You guys are something else. I thought – I thought we were friends. We got people we gotta look out for too."

"We don't know anything about you." Rick shrugged, un-phased.

Dave leaned forward in his chair, "No, that's true. You don't know anything about us. You don't know what we've had to go through out there, the things we've had to do. I bet you've had to do some of those same things yourself, am I right?"

Darcy stared intently at Rick, leaning against the counter with both arms and thanking God he was an ex-cop. Otherwise, a normal person would've bought Dave's sob story a long time ago. Darcy knew Rick didn't trust him, and the way he toned his voice told her the same. They needed to get out of there, and quick.

"So come on, let's – let's take a nice friendly hayride to this farm and we'll get to know each other." Dave finished.

"That's not gonna happen." Rick said.

"This is bullshit." Tony exclaimed.

"Calm down." Rick sneered.

"Don't tell me to calm down, don't _ever_ tell me to calm down. I'll shoot you three assholes in the head and take your damn farm!" Ton yelled, making Rick stand up and walk towards him. This also caused Darcy to step forward, and Dave as well.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, relax! Take it easy. Nobody's killing anybody." He held out his arm to Tony, turning around and noticing that Darcy had stepped forward as well. He looked back and forth between Rick, and Darcy a few times before smiling, "You sure you don't know each other?"

Before they could answer, he shrugged it off and jumped behind the bar counter and placed his gun towards Rick on the hard wood. "Nobody's shooting anybody. We're just friends having a drink, that's all." Looking around the room, Dave kept moving his hands around, making Darcy anxious.

"Now, where's the good stuff? Good stuff, good stuff, good stuff…" Dave rubbed his hands together; kneeling behind the counter and grabbing a bottle that made Rick put his hand towards his gun. Dave held it out to him to show him what it was and Rick slowly lowered his hand again towards his side.

As Dave poured the drink, all eyes were on him. "Now, you gotta understand – we can't stay out there. You know what it's like."

"Yeah, I do." Rick nodded. "But the farm is too crowded as is. I'm sorry. You'll have to keep looking."

"Keep looking." Dave repeated Rick's words. "Where do you suggest we do that?"

"I don't know." Rick shook his head, "I hear Nebraska's nice."

Dave stepped closer to the counter and laughed, "Nebraska." Darcy saw his hand twitch. "This guy."

It happened in an instant. Rick was faster, raising his gun up to Dave and firing while Darcy immediately lifted her own gun and shot Tony behind him, seeing he had begun to raise his weapon as well.

The four stared in silence, chests heaving, hearts pumping with adrenaline. Rick stood over Tony once more, firing where Darcy didn't hit: his head.

There's a saying somewhere that when you kill someone, your mind immediately shuts down and tries to comprehend the events that lead up to that moment. It says it changes you as a person, for the worse, and you never truly go back to your original mentality. But as the four stood over the body, watching as his blood pooled over the wooden floors, they felt none of those things.

They only felt more safe than they did before.


	23. Dead Man's Stretch

"Stop. You're touching me. Don't touch me."

Darcy squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to erase all of Randall's cretinous existence from her mind as she squirmed towards her side of the car as far as she could away from the blindfolded stranger. It had been a long, hectic night that quickly faded into the next morning. Her forehead was cut and ribs bruised from an unfortunate turn of events that erupted earlier that evening. The now _five_ of them couldn't wait to get back to the farm, to the place most of them now called home.

"I'm-I'm sorry I can't help it." Randall choked out, trying to sit up straight but without any luck. "I can barely keep my head up."

"Well lean on Glenn, not me." Darcy gripped his hair and pushed his head back the opposite way forcefully, getting an amused glance from Rick as he looked up into the rear-view mirror and a protesting grunt from the prisoner himself.

Darcy couldn't help but stifle a laugh, gazing up into his friendly smile and relaxing instantly. If there was anyone's company that truly made her feel calm it was Rick's. The bond the two formed was unlike the one with Daryl, naturally. There was no other way to describe the friendship except complete trust and respect towards one another, basically implying that Darcy would follow Rick down any road and he would have her back while she did.

Hershel turned around, "Just lean your head back, son." His once smooth voice was now raspy and full of exhaustion, retorting back to his drinking days and haphazard emotions was weighing on him heavily.

Darcy scrunched up her nose and muttered, "You smell bad." She'd been taking in his scent of a mixture of old socks and something she could only describe as slightly deceased for the past hour. The latter, not too shocking.

"Everybody just calm down." Rick shook his head, turning the corner that led them down the drive towards the farm. "We're almost there."

Darcy sighed heavily and rested her head on the window beside her, her amber eyes sparkled with the glittering reflections of the sunrise just over the horizon. A slight bump in the road made Darcy tap her head on the window, and she squinted at the pain in her forehead that she almost instantly forgot was there. She brought a few fingers up and touched the sore area, seeing it was still bleeding.

Glenn leaned forward, worried since Darcy had been complaining the entire ride back about Randall was suddenly quiet. "You alright?" He asked, holding two hands on the rifle standing between his knees.

She nodded, tapping the spot again with her finger gently, "Yeah, it's just from the glass."

"_We need to go." Darcy hissed, crouching down along side the front doors and towards the others, the same frightened look on their faces mixed with panic. Come to their dismay, Dave and Tony weren't the only strangers that had wandered into the town. _

_There were three or four new men outside, yelling and searching for their two group members that now lay lifelessly amongst the floorboards of the abandoned bar. It was only a matter of time until they reached the building and found them – along with blood on both Rick and Darcy's hands. _

"_Just wait." Rick held out a hand to her, whispering harshly as they heard brisk footsteps around outside. _

"_What for? They're not going to leave without them!" Darcy pointed her gun sharply over at the dead bodies, watching the gaze of Rick follow the barrel of her gun._

"_She's right, we can't sit here for much longer." Hershel muttered._

_Rick let out a deep breath before he quickly formed a plan in his head, "Let's head out the back and make a run to the car."_

_Staying crouched and low to the floor, the four started to move with their weapons locked in their hands. Merely taking a few steps, the sounds of distant gunshots forced them to cower back down. Just outside, they could hear the strangers talking clearly to one another. _

"_What happened?"_

"_Roamers, I nailed 'em."_

"_They disappeared but their car's still there."_

"_I cleared those buildings. You guys get this one?"_

"_No."_

"_Me either."_

"_We're looking for Dave and Tony and no one checks the damn bar?"_

_Darcy shut her eyes forcefully at the word that confirmed they were heading their way, breathing heavily as the men outside could be heard getting closer and closer to where they sat. When she looked towards Rick, he was clenching his jaw, preparing for the worst. _

_The footsteps hit the porch with heavy thuds, briskly heading towards the door determined to find their friends inside, and alive. Rick raised his weapon as did the others, and as the door handle began to twist slightly open, Glenn took initiative to leap over and push it back shut with his back. _

_Fear shot through Darcy, but she had enough sense to keep still. After all, none of them knew exactly how many men there were. It could be the amount she counted in her head, deciphering the styles and tones of each voice she heard speak. But with her luck these days, what she thought was, unfortunately, most likely not true. _

_Given their circumstances, she guessed it didn't matter how many there were exactly. They were trapped. Confusion had granted them a brief reprieve, but by the time the strangers figure out what was happening, they would have formulated a plan to take the smaller group out. _

"_What?" One of the men said._

"_Someone pushed it shut." Another responded. "There's someone in there."_

"_Yo, is someone in there?" A man shouted out to Rick and the others. "Yo, if someone's in there, we don't want no trouble. We're just looking for our friends."_

"_What do we do?" One whispered. "Rush the door?"_

"_No, we don't know how many are there. Just relax." The man turned back to the door, "We don't want any trouble." He repeated. "We're just looking for our friends."_

_Darcy thought if they were quiet, they might have been able to escape. Her eyes glanced one more time to the body near the piano, the pool of blood soaking through the floor. She looked to Rick, keeping her back flattened against the stonewall behind her and mouthed, 'Let's go.'_

_He shook his head, 'Too loud' and motioned the butt of his gun towards the creaking floor planks. Darcy let her head rest back in frustration against the curtain that covered the glass windows above her. She knew they had to wait and see how things played out, most likely though, for the worst. _

"_If something happened, tell us." The man outside kept yelling. "This place is crawling with corpses. If you can help us not get killed, I'd appreciate it."_

_Another man spoke up and whispered in a harsh tone, "You're buggin'. I'm telling you nobody's in there."_

"_Someone guard the door. If they're in there, they might know where Dave and Tony are." The leader responded, hesitantly taking the first few steps to walk away from the front door and hit the gravel road with ease. It sounded quiet for a moment, and Darcy could see Rick struggling along side of her with certain unreadable thoughts clogging his logical state of mind. _

"_They drew on us!" Rick suddenly shouted, receiving wide-eyed stares from all Glenn, Darcy, and Hershel. _

"_God dammit, Rick." Darcy hissed, placing her head in her palms._

_The man who had started to walk away suddenly rushed back at the voice from inside. "Dave and Tony in there?" The man yelled back. "They alive?"_

_Rick hesitated. "No." His breathing increased._

"_They killed Dave and Tony." A frantic whisper was heard from one of the three men._

"_Come on, man, let's go." One said._

"_No, I'm not leaving, I'm not telling Jane. I'm not gonna go back and tell them that Dave and Tony got shot by some assholes in a bar." The leader retorted._

"_Your friends drew on us!" Rick barked. "They gave us no choice! I'm sure we've all lost enough people, done things we-we wish we didn't have to, but it's like that now. You know that!"_

_Rick caught his breath, hearing no sounds from the outside and assumed they were listening to him. "So let's just chalk this up to what it was—wrong place, wrong—"_

_The loud blast of the shotgun breaking the glass above them cut Rick off, shattering the pieces and nipping the skin on Darcy's forehead before she had the chance to register what was happening and duck down. _

_Ignoring the pain, she leaned back away from the windows and laid on her back, firing her weapon against theirs before the chaos momentarily came to a halt. Rick stood then, firing a few distracting shots while telling the others to run. Darcy found her footing, running towards the back of the bar before more shots were aimed at them, hitting left-behind wine bottles and forcing them to duck back down and hide. _

The truck came to a screeching halt, and Darcy was more than relieved to get out of the crowded vehicle with the prisoner left inside. She leaped out, putting the gun she held in her hand into her holster before turning around and shutting the door harshly, eyeing the man carefully as she did.

Darcy stood in the shadow of a large oak tree at the far edge of the group from the farmhouse. She and the others had felt like they'd been running and fighting for their lives for the past few hours to get back here and now she found herself exhausted, sweating from the morning heat wave that the start of September seemed to drag on.

Darcy turned her back to the house as she shifted her weight between her feet. Facing the edge of the woods where she couldn't help but flicker her amber eyes towards the particular spot among the tree-line. She felt a familiar tug on her heart that made her start to wonder about him, if he was okay, and if after everything that had been said between them, if he worried about her and if she was coming back.

Then suddenly, she scoffed at herself, taking a few steps away from the side of the car and pushing aside those feelings that she expected would tare her apart. She wiped her hands on her jeans to get rid of the sweat forming on her palms and watched the group she called family come out and greet them with relieved eyes.

As Rick embraced his wife, a familiar figure suddenly stepped out from behind them, crossbow over his shoulder and a wandering pair blue eyes lingering on hers. Her heart got caught in her throat at the sight. She knew then, in that moment, those feelings would never truly go away.

The sound of Hershel's voice broke the trance, "Patricia, prepare the shed for surgery."

T-Dog pointed toward the vehicle, wide-eyed "Who the hell is that?"

All eyes shifted to the stranger, and Darcy crossed her arms and leaned her back against the vehicle as they did.

"That's Randall." Glenn sighed.

Hershel turned back before he reached the doory and glanced at Rick, "I need someone to take him there while we get things ready."

Rick nodded and let go of Lori as he turned to the group and glanced between all of them when two in particular caught his eye. "Daryl, Darcy. Would you mind?" Rick asked, raising his brow.

Darcy gave a single nod and uncrossed her arms as she pushed herself off the side of the truck. Opening the door, she heard Daryl's footsteps grow closer as the rest gathered inside the large farmhouse. Darcy stepped aside when he stood next to her, reaching in and roughly snatching the already ripped collar of the prisoner.

"Where-where are ya takin' me!" He called out.

"For a stroll 'round the block." Daryl muttered sarcastically, pulling Randall out of the car and shoving him forward while watching the injured boy stumble over his own weak footing. "Keep on 'im." Daryl whispered to Darcy.

Darcy nodded, pulling out her pistol for what seemed the millionth time in just a few hours, lifting it and keeping it steady with the boy's movements. Daryl picked him off the ground when Randall fell, gripping his shoulder and leading him in the direction of the shed. She walked cautiously behind the two, not really expecting Randall to try and make a break for it since he wouldn't get too far, but there was no time to take chances.

The path was desolate, a dead man's stretch. There was only the sound of the wind and the whimpers emitting from Randall's steps and it agitated Daryl with every stride.

The ground was drier there, and the three entered the area hiding the shed along the broadest of two dirt paths that crossed the grounds. They followed the path deeper into the large stocks of grass, the two hunters keeping a watchful eye out on everything around them. Naturally, they saw a squirrel that ran along the branch of an oak.

Daryl glanced back at Darcy unintentionally, secretly just wanting to look at her. Darcy's eyes got caught in the morning light, the amber tint glowing brightly as her eyes kept locked onto the threat he held onto.

Diverting his gaze Daryl looked at the ground and turned forward again, the path ending in a crescent-shaped clearing. From there he could see the rusted locks on the shed. The grass and bushes had reached their knees.

Their eyes caught the open shed door before their minds did. The decay of the small structure gave an air of gentle melancholy. Daryl crossed the clearing and climbed the few small steps whilst tugging Randall inside in front of him, and Darcy quickly catching up from behind.

The door creaked when Daryl had pushed it, but the hinges held. Inside, a stock pigeon flew up from the corner a few feet away, they were too busy to startle though. Taking in the small area, the air smelled of dust and leaves, but the floor itself was whole and promising.

In the middle of the room sat the familiar barrels of hay stacked high surrounding a barn table and a few abandoned baskets lying on top. Daryl shoved Randall towards it and Darcy put her gun back in her holster as she walked over to meet them. It had been a long time coming, but Randall's weight finally gave way and he toppled to the floor, unconscious from blood loss and undoubtedly the pain that ached in his ripped muscles.

"Lift 'im up." Daryl said, grabbing the man from under his arm as Darcy did the same.

It was for an instant Darcy forgot that she had hit her ribcage pretty hard during the mayhem back in the bar, but she was quickly reminded when the sharp pain struck her side and shot through her body.

_The four hid down low at the sound of a truck revving up around the corner in the middle of the now crowded street. There was a man on the roof, armed with a rifle that spotted them exactly where they kept cover. Darcy and Hershel stayed in the back doorway of the bar while Rick had gone to recover Glenn behind the rusty old dumpster. _

"_Let's get out of here!" The man driving the truck yelled to his group member on top of the roof. "Roamers all over the place! Hurry up! We gotta get out of here!"_

"_What about Sean? Mark?" The rooftop hider yelled back._

"_They shot him! We gotta go! Roamers are everywhere!"_

"_We're leaving?"_

_The man in the truck yelled, "Jump! Hurry up jump already!"_

_Bangs were heard, but not gunshots. It reminded Darcy of the time where she'd fallen asleep in a tree and woke up hitting the ground. The man on the roof bounced off his landing spot, hitting something in the alley and landing on the rusty spearheads finials of the gate blocking the pathway._

"_Help me! Help me!" He started to yell to his friend in the truck._

"_I've gotta go." He replied, panicked. "I've gotta go! I'm sorry!"_

"_No, no, don't leave!" _

_The screams of pleading from the boy who was now intertwined with the fence made Darcy cringe, never wanting to experience the feeling of being left abandoned by anybody. The truck rolled past them, ignoring the cries of the younger man by fleeing the area completely, not looking back in the slightest._

_Darcy watched Rick once again, battling his own thoughts as he stared of fin the direction of one who got left behind. Glenn stood, motioning for the two to follow and Darcy urged Hershel to move forward with her close behind._

"_The gunfire must've attracted the walkers." Hershel said to Glenn as they caught up to him, Darcy a few paces behind. "Where's Rick?_

"_He-he ran across." Glenn looked towards Rick's current position._

"_Well, hell, we can't go without him." Hershel sighed, slightly panicked as the walkers were gaining fast. _

_As he and Glenn picked up their pace to see where Rick was, something had gripped Darcy's arm then; another man came out from behind their vehicle, crouched down low with only his knife at the ready. _

_Darcy was thrown, hitting her side on the hard surface of the brick building, tripping over the pots that only shriveled and heat-ridden plants deep into the dry soil. She held her side as she dropped to the ground in a crumpled heap, mind whirling and disoriented._

_Suddenly, Darcy's mind shot back the incident in those few weeks she was by herself. Once, when she was in a blind tree, waiting motionless for any type of food to wander by, she dozed off and fell ten feet to the ground, landing on her back. It was as if the impact had knocked every scrap of air from her lungs, and she lay there struggling to inhale, to exhale, to do anything._

_That's precisely how she felt then as she slammed her side into the jagged wall, trying to remember how to breath, unable to speak or call for help, totally stunned as her mind bounced from instincts to demands around the inside of her skull._

_There was no time for her to sit and recuperate her lungs. The same man picked her up off her feet and threw her against the wall once more, making her head bounce back off the brick as he reached his hands around her neck with his knife firmly in place against her soft skin._

_No one could help her right now, the other three were still trying to gather themselves and leave. Darcy's eyes filled with the teary liquid, her whole body in pain from the abuse. She saw the man in front of her in a haze, speaking to her but she couldn't understand a word even if she tried. The world was unfocused and silent around her. _

_Suddenly one thought connects to another and she manages to scoot her right foot upwards against the wall and grab her knife. The man saw and shifted his weight quickly, Darcy only getting the chance to swipe the blade towards him as he dropped her to her knees. _

_In a desperate attempt to stay alive, she kept going. Darcy leaped herself towards him all the while stabbing her knife into the back of his thigh, causing his cries to echo throughout the small town. _

_The man lurched forward, murder in his eyes, as Darcy maneuvered around him and released the blade back into her grasp, kicking him in the sore area before he even had a chance to react. _

_As he fell, Darcy heard the familiar sound of Rick's pistol taking it's aim and shot as the noise echoed around them. Darcy's eyes had not left the man who had threatened her, watching when his eyes went blind and the sight of fresh blood drizzled down from his forehead._

Daryl eyed her carefully, "Ya alright?"

Darcy gave a hesitant nod, releasing her side and tugging Randall up on the barn table. They laid him flat on his back and would wait until Hershel arrived with Patricia to begin his calf repair.

"We were 'bout to go 'n look for you this mornin'. Bring ya back." Daryl mumbled, he leaned on his arms that were stretched out to easily grab the sides of the wooden planks of the table. He wasn't looking at her.

Darcy brings her head up slightly and narrows her eyes in thought. The two were standing on either end of the creaky table, ready to have it out for the last time on that particular discussion.

"Part of me thought you were actually going to show." Darcy mumbles bitterly. "Although it's no surprise you didn't." She doesn't move but waits silently for his response, although she already knows exactly what it's going to be.

Sure enough, after a moments pause the gruff voice answers her back. Daryl walks around the table toward her and narrows his eyes, "What do you want me to do? Huh?" He scowls down at Darcy, close to her so he can feel her hot breath on his cheek.

Darcy hadn't given a direct response, this makes Daryl scoff and turn around. "I don' need this." He mutters gruffly as if some other, very different words were trying to battle their way out instead.

"Don't pretend like you don't care." Darcy said sternly, causing Daryl to face her slightly once more. "You want your friendship back? Take it. Every kind and smart thing you've said? Take it all back I don't care, I've lost worse. But don't stand there and tell me you were going to come look for me, and pretend you don't care."

Darcy's iris's are reading his every move and tone of his deep voice. Straightaway, her thoughts were linking to each other and she wonders if Daryl's actions are a misrepresentation of not being careless, but _careful_.

The silence starts picking him apart and makes him question his sense of self and his past. But behind the noise and the stories, there is something constant and unchanging: the woman in front of him, the natural explorer and lucid dreamer.

Daryl nods, bringing down his arrogance as well as his attention to his dirty fingernails. "Alright." He said suddenly.

Darcy blinks her eyelids and tilts her head slightly, "What?" She half expects this to be a con on her emotions, just like when he brought their unexpected kiss in the argument before.

Daryl folds his arms and repeats himself. "Alright." He shuffles awkwardly. Daryl hadn't quite thought about what he would say when the discussion was once again brought up but he never imagined Darcy would've been so direct and to the point about it either. Oh, who was he kidding? Of course he knew.

Darcy stays quiet. Through a direct experience with and recognition of this silence there is a relaxation of the worries and fears in life. Although, she is desperately trying to stay furious at him and yet as she looked into his eyes, all shy and sincere, all she really wanted to do was let go of Randall's boot, run over to him and—

"Time for you two to clear on out now." Hershel's soothing voice echoed through the empty shed, Patricia behind him with all the necessary medical supplies that were needed to rebuild the young boy's calf muscles.

"Rick asked for a meeting inside. I'll be there in a short while." He nodded. "Daryl, give me a hand would you?" Hershel motions for Daryl's strength as the old man struggles with setting up a few things to prepare for the surgery.

Darcy hadn't hesitated to slip out – she wants to be there for whatever Rick has to say, but Daryl watches her as she does and hesitates with giving a helping hand to Hershel.

Hershel notices instantly. "She can go on by herself for now, don't worry. The way she handled herself out there today, I have no problem putting my life in her hands if it came down to it." Daryl blinks slowly, and nods – his way of communicating with anyone who spoke to him about her. He was shy.

"Now come on, I'm not as strong as I used to be. Help a grandpa out." Hershel snickers at his own joke, and Daryl steps forward to aid him while giving a slight smirk that played at his lips while he did.

Time passes rather quickly and in no time Darcy climbs the steps to the white house and reaches out for the screen door as she hears the familiar voices on the other side. She had retreated to the RV where her things where now placed to wash herself up and check the bruises that lined her side.

"We couldn't just leave him behind." Rick said as Darcy entered. He gives her a nod and she returns it, standing off to the side behind the rest of the group who is huddled around the dining room table. She crosses her arms and ankles as she listens carefully.

"He would've bled out, if he lived that long." Rick continued.

"It's gotten bad in town." Glenn says, almost in a whisper. Maggie looks at him worryingly.

"What do we do with him?" Andrea questions.

"I've repaired his calf muscle as best I can," Hershel came from behind Rick, and it is then that Darcy realizes how long she must have been absent but when she glances around, she doesn't see Daryl. "But he'll probably have nerve damage. He won't be on his feet for at least a week."

"When he is, we give him a canteen, take him out to the main road, send him on his way." Rick finished.

The screen door opens behind to the side of Darcy and she glances over to Daryl walking in and standing next to her. He gives her another nod and she poorly hides a blush that rises to her face.

"Isn't that the same as leaving him for the walkers?" Andrea prods.

"He'll have a fighting chance." Rick responds.

"Just gonna let him go?" Shane interrupts. "He knows where we are."

"He was blindfolded the whole way here." The group looks to Darcy, who narrows her eyes at Shane. He has been really agitating her lately, the sudden change in character gives her an uneasy feeling.

"He's not a threat." Rick nods.

"Not a threat." Shane huffed. "How many of them were there? You killed three of their men, you took one of them hostage, but they just ain't gonna come lookin'?"

"They left him for dead." Rick raises his voice and sends a threatening glare. "No one is looking."

"We should still post a guard." T-Dog says.

"He's out cold right now. Will be for hours." Hershel nods.

"You know what?" Shane starts to yell. "I'm gonna go get him some flowers and candy." He walks away towards the front door. "Look at this, folks – we back in fantasyland."

"You know, we haven't even dealt with what you did at my barn yet." Hershel pointed, walking up to Shane with confidence and anger in his voice. "Let me make this perfectly clear, once and for all – this is my farm. Now I wanted you gone. Rick talked me out of it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. So do us both a favor – keep your mouth shut."

Darcy watches as Shane shakes his head, pursing his lips to keep his rebel tongue out of the way. He walks away, swinging the door open with unnecessary force and letting it slam itself back into its frame, leaving the entire group uneasy and feeling at risk with a new threat on their doorstep.


	24. Broken

She breathed and watched.

The warm air grabbed the shredded curtains of the small shattered glass window of the shed, pulling the dark fabric out of the gap and ballooned it out to a roundness that shaped itself to the wind. Then it slipped back inside through the sharp edges, getting caught on the edge of the dusty chalice. Her heartbeat was fast, as if she had ran miles without stopping.

Darcy picked at her uneven fingernails, standing with her weight heavy on one leg as she eyed up the old worn structure. She turned toward the entrance and peered through a small opening where she saw Daryl standing tall over Randall huddled into a pathetic crumpled heap on the ground. As her thoughts clicked quickly to one another, she proceeded to reach out with a wary hand and unlatch the rusty lock.

The undertake Rick so mercifully planned out to leave the boy 18 miles out from the farm was a bust, resulting in an almost fatal attack by not only walkers, but by his once best friend. No one knew, not even Lori, what exactly happened between Rick and Shane.

The two officers said nothing as their boots stomped against the hard ground with nothing but faces of being battered, bruised, and a glum expression when they returned late the previous evening to the farm. They tossed Randall back into the shed at Daryl's hand and locked the door to keep him at bay.

After a few minutes with just Daryl in by himself, he came out and told them Randall was determining to keep quiet in the subtlest way. Between the two, Rick nodded and whispered, "Do whatever needs to be done."

Rick rubbed his face with one hand and turned, of course, to Darcy, ready to ask an expectant request. Daryl had walked paces away, and Darcy raised her eyebrow when Rick looked to her, "Maybe it's best if you go on in after Daryl –a familiar face could help Randall calm down and give us some answers."

Darcy glanced over her shoulder towards the shed, knowing Daryl was already inside when she heard the threatening slam of the door. In a hushed but confident tone she answered, "You and I both know that's not going to make a difference."

The sight quieted her.

Randall was beaten, that much was certain. His right eye was swollen, cut, just like the knuckles on Daryl's hands that were beginning to drip with the crimson liquid. Randall was weak, exhausted. He breathed heavily as he awaited another fist in his jaw.

Darcy closed the door behind her, her instant presence stopping Daryl in his pacing tracks and locking eyes. She didn't say anything when she entered, but gave a quick nod and adverted her gaze when Daryl's eyes searched her for an answer. He walked the floorboards a few steps over to her not in a threatening way, yet protective.

The old wood creaked and his sweat stuck his hair to his forehead. They kept each other in their sights for a long time as Darcy made her way to the corner of the room, dangling her feet over the strands of hay as she sat on an old farm table. She half expected him to force her out of the room.

Randall also let his eyes fall on the familiar woman, blinking quickly and wondering if for an instant she was going to stop his torment. "You're the one who sat next to me in the truck." He coughed out, managing a small smile of relief.

Daryl looked between the two, revving himself back up and lowering his voice in a deep gruff, "She ain't here to save ya, if that's what ya hopin' for."

Darcy's fingertips clawed the overhang of the wooden bench she sat on, clenching her eyes closed and wincing every time the boy she and the others had rescued was beaten by Daryl's own hands. He continued to pace, getting himself worked up again and to the point where he could do what needed to be done. He demanded answers.

Randall fell to his side, hands still tied behind his back, "I told you-"

"You told me shit!" Daryl leaned forward; grabbing Randall's collar and sitting him back up again. He was slumped with no energy left to fight back.

"I barely knew those guys. I met 'em on the road." Randall whimpered.

"How many in your group?" Daryl asked.

Randall squinted, looking to Darcy for rescue but she would be no part of it. Daryl looked behind him to her, and he watched as her eyes quickly flickered to the knife he carried on his side. Daryl slid it out slowly in this grasp.

Randall watched, eyes wide. "Uh, no no no no no, come on man!"

Daryl leaped, slamming the knife between Randall's knees into the floorboards and leaning close up to his face, "How many!"

"Uh, thirty. Thirty! Thirty guys." Randall tried to scoot back into the wall further, and Darcy watched as the horror in his eyes became more obvious.

"Where?" Daryl ripped the bandage off of the fresh wound on Randall's leg, getting a loud cry and a wave of panic.

"I don't know!" Randall screamed. "I swear! We were never anyplace more than a night!"

Daryl placed the tip of the blade against the stitches. "Scoutin'? Plannin' on stayin' local?"

"I-I don't know. They-they left me behind! Ask her she was there!" Randall nodded his head towards Darcy.

"I ain't talkin' to her, boy, I'm talking to you!" Daryl spat. "Did you ever pick off a scab?"

"Come on man! I'm tryin' to cooperate." Randall squirmed.

"Start real slow at first, sooner or later you just gotta _rip it off_."

"Uh-uh okay! Okay!" Randall breathed out slowly, stammering as he began to answer. "They have weapons. Heavy stuff. Automatics. But-but I didn't do anything!"

"Your boys shot at my boys, her–" Daryl nodded back to Darcy, " - tried to take this farm. You just went along for the ride? You're tryin' to tell me you're innocent?"

"YES!" Randall screamed. "These-these people took me in. Not just guys- a whole group of 'em." Daryl stood up, listening closely. "Men and women. Kids too, just like you people. Thought I'd have a better chance with them, you know?"

Darcy kept her head down, listening to the continuing pace of Daryl back and forth. She thought Randall was done, until the tone of his voice changed and he hesitated answering further. Darcy hesitantly brought up her head, and she watched Randall twitch where he sat, the tension and confidentiality of the story he was about to tell was weight heavily on his shoulders.

"But-but we go out. Scavenge, just the men." He swallowed. "One night we-we found this little campsite. A man and his two daughters-teenagers you know? Real young…real _cute_."

The tone of his voice was sickening. Darcy's breath hitched itself in her throat, feeling the lingering eyes of not Daryl, but Randall as the last word rolled off his tongue like thick poison, taunting her. Daryl turned slowly, looking to Randall first then following his gaze to Darcy in the corner. Their eyes met. His blood boiled.

"Their daddy had to watch while these guys – they – " Randall shook his head, and Darcy saw the face he put on in that instant. As if he didn't care, his mind flashed to that night, reminiscing of the sight regardless if he was part of it or not. Suddenly he spoke up again sounding unusually cheerful. "And they didn' even kill him afterwards. They just – they just made him watch while his, his daughters – they just – just left him there."

Darcy's mind went into overdrive, breaking down every scrap of information, every tone, every word that Randall managed to spill out. It was something about the kid that didn't make sense.

Daryl shifted on his feet. "No, but – but I didn't touch those girls. Nah, I swear."

A yelp emitted from Randall's mouth as Daryl kicked in his bad shin. Randall's words were stammering as he pleaded for mercy. Darcy couldn't stay there any longer and left to open the door just a creak to let a stream of sunlight inside the darkened shed.

"Please, you-you gotta believe me. I ain't like that."

Daryl stared the boy down before he caught a glimpse of the light out of the corner of his eye. Darcy stared back at him, not being able to look him in the eye because of how uncomfortable the story Randall told them made her. She didn't trust him, nor feel sorry for the boy. As far as Daryl could read, Darcy wanted him far away from her and the camp, regardless of if he was dead or alive.

Darcy left the shed after hearing more yelps and screams from the battered kid inside. Leaning her back up against the door, she wondered if Rick would end up doing what needed to be done. It was simple: this stranger couldn't be trusted, not after what he told them, not after what he'd seen.

The white morning fog had disappeared over the farm again. It was dry but cool, like normal Georgia Fall days, but the nights were growing colder which meant winter was started to approach quickly.

Darcy took a few steps forward to make her way towards the campgrounds where the rest of the group awaited her and Daryl's return. She didn't stop to turn around when she heard the familiar creek of the doorway open behind her with Daryl stepping out with his crossbow thrown over his shoulder and a hint of an animalistic nature in his posture.

He watched her as they walked in the same pace, slow and in thought. He didn't catch up to her or even bother to address what happened. He could only imagine the way Randall had looked to her in that moment how uneasy it had made her. Daryl kept his eyes on her the entire way up when they caught sight of their group.

Rick and the others stood up when Darcy came back first, "What'd you find out?"

Darcy squinted up at him, hesitant, and she put her hands in her back pockets. With a hurried look, Darcy glanced back over her shoulder and saw that Daryl had finally caught up to her.

Daryl spoke over her, "Boy there's got a gang, thirty men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't lookin' to make friends." Daryl faced Rick but spoke to everyone. "They roll through here, our boys are dead. And our women, they're gonna-" He unnoticeably looked to Darcy as she avoided his gaze, "They're gonna wish they were."

"What did you do?" Carol asked, noticing the gashes on his hands.

Daryl looked down to them and dropped his hand to wave it off, "Had a little chat."

Rick spoke up, determination in his voice and control, "No one goes near this guy."

Lori approached silently to her husband, but everyone else could hear, "Rick, what are you gonna do?"

"We have no choice. He's a threat." He looked to the group, "We have to eliminate the threat."

"You're just gonna kill him?" Dale stepped forward; a disgusted look clouded his face.

Rick gritted his teeth and avoided the elder man, "It's settled. I'll do it today."

Darcy listened to the sound of scattering footsteps from every person in the group, even Daryl. His presence lingered for a mere moment as he stood by her side, but was quickly gone soon after.

In regards to Randall, Darcy didn't even bother or feel the need to argue about his fate. Daryl's instincts were right; Darcy had processed it all in her head and figured a clean slate and a new beginning was the best thing for this group. Meaning: a dead prisoner, a threat long gone.

Darcy turned, feeling the cool breeze against her cheek and zipped up her fitted black leather jacket. She peered over her shoulder back towards the house and watched as Daryl continued to saunter somewhere where he could be alone for the time being. Like Daryl's, her hair seemed to grow darker as the season changed.

Alone. Even in this time, in this type of world, Darcy missed having a moment or two to herself. It reminded her of a simpler time, of having privacy, and she suddenly reminisced in the idea of having even a short time to gather her thoughts and escape this living nightmare that could only be described as a horror film come to life.

Darcy took a quick breath in, and drew in the scent of the fresh grass in the fields and even the rotten water from the surrounding marsh. It was then Darcy noticed what a quiet and beautiful day it was, regardless of what happened only moments ago.

Darcy approached the RV and saw that it was empty. She only saw people inside during the later times of the evening anyways. She tried to picture this old thing in its prime. The recessed lights in the ceiling would illuminate the hall with a weak golden light, the floor held of what was left of a burgundy carpet patterned in white and gold. She moved towards the back room, where human bodies had slept, and dreamed. She found that knowledge very comfortable that this was once a peaceful place. But as it was, the world was not as it used to be. Darcy grabbed a book, and ran outside.

Darcy leaned her back against a tree close to the house, yet still in seclusion from the others. She had wrapped herself loosely in a thick blanket, enjoying it's warm on a rare cool day. She found herself enraptured in a book she'd never heard of, maybe it was because for once in a long awhile she was forced to re-enter her imagination.

Feeling the breeze once again on her porcelain cheek, a scent filled her nose that seemed familiar to her. Hearing the slow heavy footsteps only confirmed that someone was approaching. They stood, slightly more hunched over than any other member in the group, undoubtedly due to his old age, and sighed.

"Yes, Dale?" Darcy held her fingertips on the matted pages of the book from flying and loosing her place in the wind.

He sighed, "Rick's giving me some time to talk to the group."

"About Randall." It was a statement, not a question. Darcy tossed her head slightly to get her hair out of her face and looked up at him finally. She seemed un-phased that he wanted to talk about saving the boy's life.

"Are you with him on this?" Dale furrowed his brow.

"I'm not against him." Darcy folded the corner of the page to save her place. "I want him gone, Dale. So if that means he's dead or another 18 miles out-"

Dale shook his head and waved a hand towards her, "You of all people should understand what I'm trying to say."

Darcy narrowed her eyes in confusion, "How's that?"

Dale spoke with his hands, "You were the last one to join us, and you became a part of us-"

"I didn't try to shoot you– I tried to leave." Darcy scoffed.

"But you didn't." Dale pointed, a glint in his eye.

Darcy shook her head, "This is different."

"It's no different." Dale crouched down to be at her level. "We're losing ourselves if we let this happen! The world we knew will be dead-"

"The world's already dead – look around you, look where we are." Darcy slammed the book shut.

"I just don't get it – you are usually standing up for what's right, what's the obvious choice. Is this because of-of Daryl's influence?"

"This has nothing to do with Daryl." Darcy stood up and frustratingly folded up the blanket in her hands. "This is my choice, and mine alone. Let me make that perfectly clear."

Dale stood up with her and raised his arms, "Then what is it?" She turned her back to him as she tossed the blanket onto the ground along with her book. "Darcy-"

Darcy whirled around and glared harshly at Dale. "That 'kid' looked at me dead in the eye and told the story of how he stood by while his buddies raped two innocent teenagers." Dale looked taken aback, blinking a few times and looking off into the grass as if to re-think things over.

"His voice was cold, careless, almost as if he enjoyed the memory. So don't you dare stand there and defend that prisoner when you don't even know the other half of the story. I know you're trying to do what is right, Dale, but you are dead wrong on this. Dead wrong." Darcy finished.

"But the solution isn't to kill him!" Dale stepped forward, "There are other ways, so that we-we don't lose ourselves, who we are-"

Darcy shook her head and mockingly smiled at Dale, "You weren't there, Dale. That night at the bar. I had to kill to defend myself and not against walkers, but against people. _His_ group. And do you know what I felt after? It wasn't destruction, weakness, incomprehensiveness, it was safety. I felt _safe_ after they were dead."

Darcy picked up her things and with one last look towards Dale who had the look of shock and bafflement covering his features, and said, "I will only feel safe again when he is dead too."

"Did it hurt to punch the guy?"

Carl came around the thick bush and approach Daryl who sat on an old wooden log out by the farmhouse. He sat to be alone, think things over, to just have his own moment. Although, he purposefully positioned himself to be able to easily see Darcy off by a somewhat distant tree reading. It was a weird feeling of peace.

Daryl glanced up at the small pale boy, "Been hurt worse. You too buddy."

Carl smiled, feeling enjoyment of being compared to the hunter. "Can you teach me to shoot that?" He pointed to the crossbow.

Daryl scoffed, "You're arm ain't long enough." He picked at his nails.

"Yeah it is." Carl brought out his arm, as if measuring it himself against the length of the bow. Daryl just huffed a small laugh.

To his right, Daryl heard the crunching of the grass beneath approaching footsteps and he turned blinking a few times to make sure it was actually Darcy coming towards him.

He stood up, pushing on the bow as he did and turned back to Carl, "Why don' you find your ol' man 'n pester him?"

Daryl watched Carl reluctantly turn around and vanish behind the bushes as Darcy stood in front of him, "Here." She handed him a cloth and an antibiotic to clean his wounds.

Daryl took it slowly, enjoying the feeling of warmth from her touch. "Thanks." He sat back down on the log and opened the bottle.

"When you're done," Daryl flickered his eyes up to the woman, sensing she felt tense yet awkward from the way she shuffled her feet. "I'm looking to get out of here for awhile, hunt. I would feel better if you came along with me."

"Ya alright?" It was a simple question, but held many meanings.

Darcy sighed and sat down beside him, "Haven't used my bow in awhile, worried if something came up I might lose it." She smiled slightly.

"You mean if his buddies show." Daryl nodded his head towards the shed.

Darcy shrugged, "Kinda."

"Rick will handle it." Daryl began to wrap his knuckles and Darcy watched carefully. "Even with Dale runnin' his mouth 'bout saving the damn kid."

"He talked to you too, then?" Darcy asked, grabbing the cloth from him and un-wrapping it to do it over. He flinched, just as he always did, but let her care to him nonetheless.

"He's talkin' to everybody." He looked at her eyes that focused on his hand. "That why you wanna get off this farm?"

"Just for awhile." Darcy tied the knot and wiped her hands on her jeans.

"Don' feel safe?" He asked.

She stood, "Never do." Darcy shuffled on her feet once more and blushed, "Would feel a lot better if you came back to camp."

Daryl looked to her, and they both poorly hid their small smiles. "Yeah well," he stood once more, close to her this time. "Wouldn't make a difference. Everybody bugs me o'er there anyways."

Darcy rolled her eyes, "Are you coming with me or not?" She bluntly asked, turning slightly as if she was ready to leave him behind again.

Daryl barely nodded, "Yeah, could use some practice. Gotta stop by my tent first – get some arrows."

They walked together.

The strides they took were in-sync, slow, yet excited. There wasn't a time when the two could really remember the last time they went out by themselves. With all that's happened the past few weeks, it wasn't a surprise either.

Darcy chewed on her lip, but whether it was from excitement or anxiousness, she couldn't tell. They each slowly meandered across the grass, Daryl scuffing his shoes against the ground as they walked, still, it was as natural as ever. It was like all the arguments and unexpected occurrences between the two had never even happened.

"Ya didn't tell Dale you were with 'im on this, right?" Daryl asked, catching glimpses of Darcy out of the corner of his eye as he searched his bag for his newly crafted arrows.

Her eyes narrowed, looking at him in confusion as he grabbed a handful of arrows and set them in his bow. "Why would I?"

"Jus' wonderin'." He shrugged innocently, taking a step over a small wooden pile and walking towards the woods. He slowed his pace so Darcy could keep up with his long strides.

In the woods, Darcy has finally felt like she can relax and be herself. She guards herself still, obviously from the true threat that waits behind almost every corner, but yet in a different perspective, she doesn't. She can feel the muscles in her face relaxing with every step inside the forest, her pace quickening as she finds some rocks to climb until she stumbles a ledge overlooking a small opening.

Daryl watches her, not taking his sight off how she drifts through the twigs and leaves lying amongst the floor and barely makes a sound. Never did he think this would be permanent, having another talented partner in the woods with him such as she, but he enjoyed her presence. He blinks shyly.

Darcy whistles quietly, and Daryl snaps from his thoughts and truly focuses on her instead of getting lost in his own mind. She is crouched, pointing to just the left of him where he sees a few squirrels hurried about. It's nothing big, but it's food nonetheless.

He turns to her, motioning his head for her to take the shot. She stands, and with every movement his eyes watch her. Daryl has decided to trust her wholeheartedly with this catch, and it's not difficult for him to do so. He knows she can easily make the shot.

Daryl pays close attention to her movements. She places her feet carefully and blocks out the rest of the world as she takes meticulous aim. Her arm pulls back, revealing her strength in her arms and shoulders. Her stance is perfect. The sound of the arrow hits its target with ease.

"Practice my ass." Daryl mumbles, walking over to the squirrel pinned perfectly in the eye to the tree and pulling it out with a grunt before lifting his own bow and shooting at a wandering scurrier nearby.

Darcy slips out of the bushes and crosses over to him, she can't help to avoid the question on the tip of her tongue any longer, "Did you mean it?"

Daryl stands up straight, not having the faintest idea of what she was referring to and scrunched up his face, "Mean what?"

If she'd thought about it longer, Darcy would have bitten her tongue before she had a chance to blurt such a stupid question but she needed to know so badly that her mind couldn't think of anything else. They were alone, and now was the time to ask.

Her eyes flickered uncertainly to his face, "How it meant nothing." Darcy had never been able to address these types of situations without feeling incredibly embarrassed and foolish, but like I said, she had to know.

"How the kiss meant nothing." Darcy turned her back on Daryl and kept her head facing the ground, hands on her hips and tapping the left toe of her boot with her right heel as she awaited the answer she most likely knew to be anyways.

Daryl blinked and narrowed his eyes at the woman, but not in a threatening or angered way. He was confused – obviously what he said in their last argument hurt her – and was wondering what she was expected him to say or rather, really wanted him to tell her. He wanted to, so desperately to tell her 'No, it was all a lie, I just didn't like how I allowed you to get so close so quickly.' But, at the same time, was it smart of him to do that?

Suddenly, Daryl felt the eyes and influence of his brother somewhere around them. He could feel Merle's judgment, pity, and relentless harassment of the unlikeliness of how a beautiful woman such as Darcy could possibly want anything to do with him.

Back in the day, it would be Merle to shoot down his younger brother's confidence and swoop in for himself at Daryl's interest. Thinking about it though, Daryl smirked wildly at how Darcy would have nothing to do with someone like Merle. Daryl genuinely felt that Darcy cared about him instead.

A rustle behind Daryl made both hunters turn in uncertainty and grip their bows a little tighter. It was the all too familiar growl emitting from behind the brush that forced them to hid behind to trees that stood next to each other.

Darcy pressed her back as far as it could go into the hard bark as her heartbeat increased rather quickly. She looked to Daryl beside her, and even though they were in danger from whatever was lurking through the woods close to them, she couldn't help but love this feeling of company and excitement that she used to feel when she first joined the group.

That all quickly changed though as the limping body had come around the tree and grabbed the collar of Darcy's jacket. She let out a yelp, falling to the ground and bringing her hands up to the chest of the monster, trying to push it off or at least keep its gnashing teeth at bay.

Daryl tackled it, rolling to the side but ending up in the same position he had just saved Darcy from. In a quick haste, Darcy stood up, hair falling in her face and pushed the walker off of him then, kneeling on its chest to keep it pressed against the cold forest floor and taking her knife to stab it's blade into the top if it's skull.

Gurgling emitted from what was left of the rotten lips. Darcy pulled the knife out in a tug and pushed the body away from her. She leaned back and sat down on the ground, breathing heavily from the close encounter. Resting didn't last long when she was pulled to her feet and spun around, Daryl looking over every inch of her body to see if she was bit.

"Ya bit? Scratched?" He asked, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her hair aside to see where the walker first grabbed her.

She couldn't help but let out a laugh, "No, no would you stop?" She spun herself back around and lightly pushed his hands away. "Stop, stop, stop, stop it! Quit grabbing at me, I'm fine."

She stepped back and they both breathed heavily. Darcy lifted her hands to rest on her hips and look at the decayed body next to her. She pushed the hair out of her face that fell from her braid in the rustle and turned back to Daryl.

"Good thing there was only one." She knelt down to wipe the blade on what used to be young man's torn, brown, button-up shirt.

Suddenly another rustle came from behind them and Darcy rolled her eyes and looked to Daryl who did the same. They didn't hide this time; they didn't try to avoid it. They both aimed their weapons at the sight of branches moving and the sound of twigs snapping as the body grew closer and closer…

"Carl?" Darcy lowered her bow. The boy was covered in mud, out of breath, and had a terrifying expression covered his pale face.

"Darcy?" Carl ran over to her, hugging her mid-section with such a force it had almost knocked her over. She looked up to Daryl who eyed him carefully and brought his gaze up to meet hers. Daryl shook his head in annoyance.

"What are you doing out – you know what? I don't want to know." Darcy mumbled.

Daryl passed her, a sour expression on his features. "Let's head back. Group should be gettin' ready to meet up now."

Darcy had suddenly realized how dark it actually was. The sun was just beginning to set and it let a golden-red hue cover the sky and the familiar night fog was starting to settle in.

Daryl led the way a few paces in front of them with the few squirrels they had managed to find hanging by a string behind his back. Carl stayed very close to Darcy, hanging onto her belt loops on her black skinny jeans. She felt the boy's large brown eyes staring, knowing what they were pleading.

She sighed, "No, Carl, I won't say anything to your parents, but I swear to God, it's like you're trying to get yourself killed."

Carl huffed loudly and tore away from her, "I can handle myself!"

"Really? 'S that why you came runnin' out of them woods and held on to Darcy for dear life?" Daryl shot back as he approached the farmhouse.

Darcy looked up and saw the group beginning to gather for the meeting about Randall. Lori hadn't seemed to even notice her son was missing which was beginning to annoy Darcy greatly. For the time being however, she ignored it and climbed the stairs to join the others in the foyer area.

The group huddled in a large circle, Dale somewhat by himself on the left side and Rick in the center. Darcy listened to her footsteps against the wooden floors as she stood against the opposite wall of Daryl. She crossed her arms and her ankles as she waited for the discussion to begin.

It was silent for a few moments, before a quiet Glenn spoke up, "So how do we do this? Just take a vote?"

"Does it have to be unanimous?" Andrea asked.

Lori voiced herself from the corner next to Daryl, "How about majority rules?"

Rick stepped forward and placed a hand on the couch, "Well, let's-let's just see where everybody stands, then we can talk through the options."

"Well, where I sit," Shane spoke, "There's only one way to move forward."

"Killing him?" Dale spat. "Right? I mean why even bother to take a vote? It's clear which way the wind's blowing." He sighed, defeated.

Rick raised a hand, "Well, if people believe we should spare him, I wanna know."

"Well, I can tell you it's a small group." Dale shifted his weight. "Maybe just me and Glenn."

As the name slipped from Dale's mouth, Glenn lowered his head in silence. He didn't say or look at Dale when the elder man glanced at him for support. The slow motion when Glenn did face him, however, said it all.

"Look, I-I think you're pretty much right about everything, all the time but this-"

"They've got you scared!" Dale retorted, cutting Glenn off.

"He's not one of us!" Glenn said. "And we've…we've lost too many people already."

Dale looked around the room for any sign of mercy. "How about you? Do you agree with this?" He asked Maggie.

She crossed her arms and looked to Rick, "Couldn't we continue keeping him prisoner?"

Daryl leaned against the wall, "Just another mouth to feed."

"It may be a lean winter." Hershel spoke.

"We could ration better." Lori told him.

"Or he could be an asset!" Dale raised his voice. "Give him a chance to prove himself."

"All the while we're keeping an eye on our backs in case of another threat." Darcy mumbled.

"We could put him to work?" Glenn suggested.

Rick shook his head, "We're not letting him walk around."

"We could put an escort on him." Maggie said.

Shane scoffed, "Who wants to volunteer for that duty?"

"I will." Dale spat.

Rick raised another hand, "I don't think any of us should be walking around with this guy."'

"He's right." Lori said, "I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up."

"We can't exactly put chains around his ankles and sentence him to hard labor." Andrea said.

"Look, say we let him join us, right?" Shane stood up from leaning on the fireplace mantle, "Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's nice. We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, and brings back his thirty men."

Daryl breathed in uncomfortably, imagining if they did find the farm and unintentionally looked to Darcy. She lifted her head up as well towards him but quickly adverted the stare.

"So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?" Dale said. "If we do this, we're saying there is no hope. Rule of law is dead, there is no civilization!"

"Oh my God." Shane looked away.

"Could you drive him further out?" Hershel asked. "Leave him like you planned?"

"You barely came back this time." Lori swallowed. "There are walkers, you could break down, you could get lost-"

"Or get ambushed." Daryl spoke.

"They're right." Glenn sat up, "We should not put our own people at risk."

"We're running out of options." Darcy mumbled. "You don't want us to kill him, but we don't want to risk the chance of letting him loose or letting him join us."

Rick nodded, "She's right. We're bouncing all over the place."

"If you go through with it," Patricia started, "How would you do it? Would he suffer?"

Shane shrugged and looked to Rick, "We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck."

"Nah, I thought about that. Shooting him may be more humane." Rick nodded.

T-Dog shifted his weight and crossed his arms, "And what about the body? Do we bury it-"

Dale stepped forward shaking his arms, "Well hold on, hold on! You're talking about this like it's already been decided."

"You've been talkin' all day, goin' around in circles." Daryl spoke quietly in his gruff voice. "You just wanna go around in circles again?"

"This is a young man's life! And it is worth more than a five-minute conversation!" Dale shouted. "Is this what's its come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him? You saved him!" He pointed at Rick, "And now look at us. He's been tortured. He's gonna be executed. How are we any better than those people that we're so afraid of?"

"We all know what needs to be done." Shane lowered his voice.

"No, Dale is right." Rick said, "We can't leave any stone unturned here. We have a responsibility-"

"So what's the other solution?" Andrea started. "We haven't come up with a single viable option yet, I wish we could but-"

"So let's work on it!" Dale yelled.

"Stop it!" Carol cried. "Just stop it. I'm sick of everybody arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this, you can't ask us to decide something like this. Please decide – either of you, both of you- but leave me out."

Dale pointed at her, "Not speaking up, or killing him yourself," He shook his head, "There's no difference!"

"Alright, that's enough." Rick raised a hand to him. "If anyone wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance."

The group fell silent, avoiding Dale's piercing stare as he looked to each member of the group. Darcy had even brought her eyes to the floor and had become preoccupied with an ant carrying a pea on it's back trying to make an escape for the front door.

Dale's hands twisted his fisherman's hat desperately, "You once said that, that we don't kill the living." He pointed to Rick.

"That was before the living tried to kill us." Rick sneered.

"But don't you see? If we do this, the people that we were - the world that we knew is dead! And this new world is ugly. It's…harsh. It's-it's survival of the fittest! And that's a world I don't wanna live in, and I don't believe that any of you do. I can't."

Darcy brought her head up and saw the water beginning to glaze Dale's eyes, "Please. Let's just do what's right." He stopped and looked to the group once again. "Isn't there anybody else who's gonna stand with me?"

After a few moments, Andrea spoke. "He's right. We should try to find another way."

"Anybody else?" Rick asked.

"Darcy?" Dale put her on the spot, opening his arms wide as if she was about to agree with him. He truly thought of her as a wise counsel, Dale, of all people. He sought her out depending on her to agree with him. To an extent, she did. But her gut instinct screamed 'no.'

Darcy sighed quietly, feeling the lingering eyes of the entire group, especially Daryl's. She didn't say anything, but merely shook her head. Dale's first tear fell against his cheek. Rick turned back from the unresponsive woman and shrugged at the elder man.

Dale sobbed, and scoffed at his group, "Are you all gonna watch too?" He sniffed. "No you'll all be hiding in your tents trying to forget that we're slaughtering a human being." He shook his head and started towards the door. "I won't be a party to it."

With a callous look, he stopped and placed a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "This group is broken."

The more Darcy blinked into the darkness, the more she began to make out the familiar silhouettes of Daryl, Rick, and Shane talking on the other side of the camp. She sat, her features only being lighted by the flickering embers of the fire in front of her.

Darcy rubbed her tired eyes and tried to sort out her mental bearings. Forty-eight hours ago, at least, she'd been fighting for her life along Rick, Hershel, and Glenn, escaping the midst's of strangers and walkers alike to end up saving a kid who was in the heart of the attack. Now, the same kid awaited his deadly fate because the group just couldn't trust him enough to let him go.

Darcy sighed, utterly exhausted. Her shoulders sagging as she glanced down at the long stick she lazily held in her hands that poked the slow-growing embers. She peered her eyes over the dying fire that she was supposed to tend to and paid close attention to the members of the group.

Darcy pursed her lips and frowned. It was true; Dale had suspected each and every one of them would pretend they weren't "slaughtering a human being." Everyone was quiet, as if trying to push the thoughts and angst of the idea out of their minds.

T-Dog sighed from his seat beside her, which made Carol look up from her tea. Andrea, whose arrival till that point had gone unnoticed, spoke with uncertainty in her voice as she stepped forward, "Has anyone seen Dale?"

Darcy shook her head slowly, unblinking from staring at the flames. "I think he went for a walk."

The silence of the night fell across the group once again. Darcy's heart bad begun to race beneath her leather jacket. Rick and the two men started to disperse, Daryl catching Darcy's curious eyes and nodding to her that it was being taken care of – he walked over to her anyways though, setting his crossbow to lean against her chair and facing the shed behind her.

He hadn't said anything, nor did he need to. Darcy lowered her head and looked to her feet as to catch Daryl's movements out of the corner of her eye. Rick motioned for him and Shane, and as soon as Daryl began to move his feet, he looked down to Darcy.

Unnoticeable to anyone else but them, he lightly grabbed the leather material of her jacket in between his thumb and forefinger to give it a gentle tug as to reassure her. Darcy turned her head that she still kept lowered slightly towards him, but his feet began to move away to help with the deed. She felt the familiar heat rise to her cheeks and towards the spot where his fingers touched her. Darcy let out a slow breath, resting her chin on her right shoulder as she once again tried to catch his movements as he walked away. A smile tugged on the corner of her lips.

Darcy felt a wave of anxious nausea sweep over her.

How much time had passed? Surely Rick should have done it by now? Darcy had been listening intently, closing her eyes and blocking out any other noises other than what could be considered a gunshot, but no such sound reached her ears. Was something wrong? Did Rick change his mind and decide to drive Randall out further instead to benefit Dale?

"Something's not right." Glenn spoke in the silence.

Then, Shane was stomping back to camp with the same animalistic growl on his features. He stormed off, avoiding everyone around him. Darcy sat upright and placed her hands on the arms of her chair trying to find an explanation to Shane's sour behavior. It was then she saw Carl, being led by a steady guiding hand that was his father's. Once again, Carl had followed them.

_That damn kid._ Darcy sat back in a sulk and shook her head.

Rick addressed the demanding eyes of the group, "We're keeping him in custody for now."

"I'm gonna find Dale." Andrea smiled.

And then, all at once, it happened. The gut-wrenching screams of one of their own flooded the fields. Darcy leaped to her feet as did the others. Beside her, T-Dog's breathing came quick and fast in time with Darcy's pulse. She could hear the screams and roars erupting from the meadow, but could see nothing. It was when Daryl's calls were mixed with Dale's that people sprung into action.

"T-Dog, get a shotgun now!" Rick called.

Darcy grabbed her pistols and a flashlight, sprinting along side the others in a desperate attempt to save him. Panic-driven yells and fear-stricken hearts caused them all to run faster than they ever had.

"Help! Over here!" Daryl yelled, jumping to his feet and waving his arms to grab the group's attention.

They all caught up at once. The confirmation that it was Dale and the sight of his ripped stomach had Darcy clutching at her stomach and bent over double to wretch.

Rick kneels down over Dale when he saw his mangled state. He tries his best to stay calm, "Listen to me, all right? Just listen to me." Dale moans in response as he is unable to form words.

"Okay, hold on now. Get Hershel!" Rick yells back to the group. But they are all in shock and no one responds. It was then that Hershel and his daughters entered the unforgiving scene.

"What happened?" He asks, out of breath.

"What can we do?" Rick asks. "Can we move him?"

Hershel puts a hesitant hand on Rick, "He won't make the trip."

Rick stands and shouts in misunderstanding, "You have to do the operation here. Glenn get back to the house!"

"Rick." Hershel shakes his head. Now Rick knows. Rick screams in protest, and the cries of the group become louder. No one comforts anyone, but stands and stares at their literally torn friend who continues to moan and wince on the ground.

"He's suffering." Andrea says. Rick knows what has to happen. "Do something!"

Darcy had turned around, hands on her hips and her head in a defeated sulk. A warm familiar hand wraps hesitantly around her midsection facing the other way towards Dale, and like that one night the camp was attacked outside of Atlanta, Darcy let her body fall into Daryl's and he embraced her.

Rick raises his gun at Dale's forehead, staring on and waiting as if he'll recover and everything would be back to the way things were. Moments have passed and soon Daryl lets go of Darcy and walks over to him.

Daryl puts his hand out for Rick to give him the gun. Kneeling down, he whispers "Sorry brother," and pulls the trigger.


	25. Fences

The next morning, it's different.

They are all woken up to only be reminded of yet another devastating loss of one of their own. It is as if they are expecting everything to be back to normal, that what has happened to Dale is only a bad dream that would soon be over. They all hope to see a glimpse of his smiling face again, standing guard on top of his beloved RV that he and his wife used to share and tell stories together. But it is different; the group has changed once again.

Dawn has barely broke and Darcy is up. She stands with her arms crossed and her neck bundled in a red thick scarf, letting the morning dew cover her black lace boots. Her long auburn hair is pulled back into a ponytail and she lets her bangs fall over her forehead and slightly into her face. Her nose is a blush pink, and her cheekbones are the same tint. The cold doesn't bother her all that much; she lives for those bitter fall days that would quickly turn into winter. After all, it was just around the corner.

It's obvious to anyone who soon starts to wake that she hasn't slept very well, no one actually had. Darcy thinks Andrea has the worst of it, the compassion and feelings Dale had for her, like a grandfather would for a granddaughter. The slight snuffles and forced back whimpers in the RV made Darcy ignore her body's cries for sleep and instead leaves the once comforting place that seemed to house fewer and fewer people.

She wonders if Daryl's okay. He is still separated from the group.

The arrogance of that man is unfathomable. Even after the surprise attack so close to camp, he still went off on his own to his corner near the woods. The thought of him alone pushes Darcy to uncross her arms and walk over to the exact spot at that moment, but the sight of him already heading her way simply makes her walk to meet up with him.

Daryl saunters over with his mouth hung slightly open and his eyes squinting with the rising sun over the horizon. He has one hand holding the strap of his most valued weapon that hangs over his shoulder, leaning slightly to one side. The tangled mess of his hair told Darcy he hasn't slept much either.

"You're up early." She tells him.

"Same as you." He stops in front of her.

Darcy shrugs and puts her hands on her hips. "Couldn't sleep."

She slowly takes a few steps past him and looks towards his small camp. His eyes stay on her as she turns back around and moves her sharp focus of attention onto him. "You moving back anytime soon?"

Daryl takes a step or two towards her as she continues. He blinks blankly at her as she scuffs her boots along the grass awkwardly. "I just don't think it's smart, you being out by yourself after what happened."

Daryl pauses, "You gettin' tired 'o sleepin' on the RV floor?"

Darcy lets out a small laugh, "My cot is crying out to me."

Daryl nods, "I'll move back tonight."

Her face falls instantly in relief. She steps forward and holds out a steady hand to take hold of his forearm, "Thank you."

Daryl coughs awkwardly at her small gesture, a blush rises to his cheeks. "Yeah, well. Don' thank me yet. If you ain't quit snoring I'm 'a kick your sorry ass right back out."

Darcy pulls back with her mouth open wide that covers a smile, "I do not snore!"

He repositions his crossbow with a smirk, "Like a damn cow."

Darcy playfully pushes his shoulder. She walks past him only by a few steps when light footsteps approach them hesitantly, Glenn being the owner. He gives a quick unsure smile towards Daryl and the two take notice that he holds Dale's rifle in his hands. The object has the power to quickly dampen the joking mood.

"Hey, um…" Glenn searches for his words. "I think – I think Dale would of wanted you to have this." He focuses to Darcy and hands her the heavy gun. He gives another quick closed-mouth smile as she takes it.

Daryl shifts his weight between his feet as he gives Glenn a slight nod. Before Glenn walks away, Daryl turns back to Darcy and notices the corner of her mouth subtly curved into a smirk as she remembers why Dale would have wanted her to have his prized possession. It wasn't much, but it is a memory nonetheless.

_Darcy sat awkwardly just on the inside of the stable, chin resting on her hand and sitting with her knees bent up to her chest. The bit of shade the roof managed to give calmed her nerves as she waited for the others to return from yet another search for Sophia. _

_The loud neighing of Nelly made Darcy snap out of her thoughts and stretch her arm while she shifted her seating, still on-edge from being forced to sit out once again. The stitches started to mend her wound, and she could be as good as new in a manner of days. Something she couldn't wait for any longer to happen._

_Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Dale kept watch and turned around slowly to take in his surroundings. Darcy saw as his sight lingered on the stable for a moment before he called out to Glenn and climbed down off the RV. _

_Darcy sighed heavily and stood up as he approached, "I was thinking…" He began, getting closer to where she stood. "It might come in handy for you to learn how to use the guns around here. You've got a good shot with that bow, but I'm worried if there will come a time where something happens to it." _

_He raised his eyebrows and nodded when he talked, a trait of Dale's. "Or if you get hurt like this again and can't use it." He motioned towards her arm. _

"_I have my pistols." Darcy shrugged, crossing her arms in a non-defiant way. "Well, had them anyway." She shot a quick glance towards Hershel in the field._

_Dale nodded but shook his hands at her, "But still, it's always good to know how to use others. I can teach you to use this if you'd like?" He lifted the strap of his rifle a bit off his shoulder and smiled. "What do you say?"_

"Ya know how to shoot that?" Daryl asks, his gruff words break Darcy from her trance.

She nods and smiles up at him briefly, "Dale taught me well."

Daryl watches her hold it, it fits her hands nicely like a missing puzzle piece. "Suits ya." She throws it over her shoulder to join her bow as he blinks and remembers what he was coming to talk to her about. "Me, Shane, T, and Andrea are going out 'n checkin' the fences. Make sure there ain't any holes or weak links."

Darcy gives him an unsure look and begins to slowly walk away. "Okay."

Daryl hasn't really ever kept Darcy up to date on what his plans were. Daryl was always a free spirit, answering to no one and doing his own thing. The only time he had was just before he got shot and they mended the tension between them at the time.

"Thought ya might want to come along." Daryl shrugs as he walks beside her and stays with her slow pondering pace.

"It seems like you've got enough people already." Darcy nods to the group that starts to form around the fire pit. "I might be needed here for now."

Daryl nods in understanding, but he moves to stand in front of her tall. "Keep an eye out on that lil' shit head then." He motions towards the shed where Randall is yet again tied up. "Don' want nobody near him 'till Rick knows what to do."

Darcy kicks a small anthill. She understands his concern but her mind wanders elsewhere, "I think it was real good what you did for him. Taking care of - what needed to be done last night."

"Ain't no reason he should be doin' all the heavy liftin'." He shakes his head and shrugs. "I'd tell him the same."

"Well, I'm sure he appreciates it." She nods, "Respects you more for it."

Daryl shakes his head, "Nah. Nothin's changed." He begins to walk away towards the huddled camp.

"Everything's changed." She insists.

Daryl chooses to give her a quick look before he ignores her comment entirely. They walk over together, side by side until they have approached the remainder of the group, which now included the Greene family.

Since that day Shane opened the barn, Hershel had changed his ways and thoughts entirely. He was still a man of faith, but he felt differently about the situation that seemed to reap over the world. Hershel has now put his whole trust in Rick, respecting his authority and answering to him when necessary. He stands now facing him, his voice full of reason and sternness.

"Gonna be tight, fourteen people in one house." Rick's voice reaches their ears. His short statement is still sweet to hear after months of sleep out in the open.

Hershel waves his hand, "Don't worry about that. With the swamp hardening, the creek drying up…"

"With fifty head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringin' the damn dinner bell." Maggie interjects, sarcasm in her voice but true nonetheless.

Hershel nods, "She's right. We should've moved you in awhile ago."

Rick stops protesting when he sees the faces of the group waiting with anxiousness to be in a warm enclosed area. Safety. "All right, let's move the vehicles near each of the doors facing out toward the road. We'll build a lookout in the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us sightlines of both sides of the property."

Darcy leans her front up against the blue pickup truck and rests her arms on the bed, awaiting her own orders as Rick turned to T-Dog. "T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going."

"What about standing guard?" T-Dog asks.

"I need you and Daryl on double duty." Rick looks to Daryl who is now standing beside Darcy.

Hershel walks by carrying crates from camp, "I'll stock the basement with food and water, enough that we can all survive there a few days if need be."

"What about patrols?" Andrea asks.

"Let's get this area locked down first, I still need you to go out and check the fences. After that Shane'll assign sifts while me and Daryl take Randall offsite and cut him loose." Rick states.

Darcy looks to Daryl and bumps his arm as she turns to walk away. "I'm packing your shit up then while you're out."

"Don' touch my bike." He calls out to her. She's already walked away a few feet and in response she lazily waves her hand at him giving him the 'okay.'

The day was sunny and clear. The white fog had lifted and the weather turned colder and less humid. Fall was most definitely in the air that day; hopefully the group would encounter a mild winter.

Darcy hears light rapid footsteps trying to catch up with her and she turns around to Carl holding tightly onto his hat. "Can I help?" He pleads.

Darcy looks up back to the group. Lori has her hand up covering the sun from hitting her eyes and gives her a nod that it was okay with her. Darcy returns the nod. "Sure."

The two reach Daryl's small camp in a few minutes. Darcy packs up the blankets and sleeping bag that belong to Daryl first and starts breaking down the tent. She looks over her shoulder at Carl admiring Daryl's bike.

She smiles, "I thought you were supposed to help me."

"Hey, Darcy?" Carl speaks up. Darcy stops what she's doing. She knows that tone of Carl's since he's approached her with it often. He wants her to keep a secret.

Darcy sighs heavily. "Yeah?"

"If, um – if I tell you something, will you promise not to tell my parents?"

Darcy finishes packing the tent and walks over to join him by Daryl's bike, wiping her hands on her jeans as she does. "With how many secrets I've kept from them one more might not be so bad." She joked.

"It's just...I don't know who else to go to." He sighed. "And you're…kinda like my big sister. At least, I think you are."

The wind tosses the ends of Darcy's wavy hair gently as she stares with her eyes slightly squinting at Carl in thought. She breathes in heavily and nods for him to go on. "What is it Carl?"

Carl suddenly looks behind him as if he expects his parents to instantaneously are standing there watching. The sound of a gun rattling quietly reaches Darcy's ears as she watches him pull one out from his belt.

"I took it from Daryl's motorcycle." He hands it to her and she takes it with the same slightly glared eyes as before; her thinking face that quite often matched Daryl's. "If he found out I took it, he'd kill me."

Darcy breaths a laugh, "I don't think-" She looks at Carl's serious face, "Probably." She agrees. "Why do you have it?"

Carl starts sliding his feet on the soft ground, "It's my fault – Dale. It's my fault that he died."

Darcy looks at him with more confusion, "A walker killed him, Carl."

"I saw that walker. I was gonna shoot it." He adverts her gaze again. "It was stuck in the mud. I was – I was throwing rocks at it and stuff. But I was gonna do it - shoot it right in the head. But it – it got free, came after me and…I ran away. If I had killed it, Dale would still be here…"

Darcy sighs and kneels down. She takes Carl by the shoulders to make him face her. "Carl, listen very carefully to what I'm about to say; this was not your fault."

"But I –"

"But nothing. The only thing that could have stopped that from happening was Dale. He went out by himself in the field and wasn't paying attention. It was an accident, and only an accident." Carl nods.

Carl nods again and sniffs back the forming tears. "I'll give the gun back to Daryl. Why don't you go on inside and see if your mom needs help? I've got things here." She tells him.

Darcy then stands up and pats Carl's shoulder. He walks away from her, still genuinely upset as she looks to the farm and sees that the group that checked the fences is now back, including Shane. Darcy heads toward him.

"Shane?" She calls. He's by his car loading up pieces of wood to build the lookout in the windmill.

"What's up Darc?" Shane doesn't look up to greet her.

"I've got a problem." She looks over her shoulder to make sure everyone else was out of earshot.

"You ain't the only one." Shane scoffs. Darcy rolls her eyes.

"It's about Carl." The name grabs his attention. Shane tosses the wood in his hands into the car and turns to face her.

"What about 'im?"

Darcy walks closer toward him, pulling out the gun. "He gave me this. He took it from Daryl's bike and went out in the woods yesterday – saw a walker. He tried to shoot it but he got scared and ran back to the farm. The walker that killed Dale –"

"Same one?" He sighs, watching Darcy nod and cross her arms. "Why are you telling me and not Rick?"

Darcy sighed heavily and sat next to him in the truck of the SUV. "Honestly?" Shane nods. "With the relationship you two used to have, it wouldn't be right coming from me. This might help fix it." She shrugs.

Shane nods and they both look out towards the camp. His eyes focus on Lori and Carl both. Darcy sighs again and stands up to lave him to his thoughts, hoping he'll go to Rick and fix their own relationship while mending Carl's broken heart. "I'm gonna go pack up."

The sudden sight of Daryl on top of the shed hammering away at fitting wooden boards over the window caught Darcy's eye. She went over to him, wanting to ask about the fences and if any walkers were nearby.

"Hey." She called out to him.

Daryl twisted the knife around in his hand and nodded to her, picking up a nail and hammering that in as well. "Ya wanna be next on watch for this kid?"

Darcy scoffed and crossed her arms. "About as much as I want a nail-file through my brain." She arched an eyebrow and he grinned.

Darcy turned around and saw T-Dog by the blue pickup truck. He and Rick were beginning to get ready to drive Randall out of the farm's reach. Just before she turned around, Daryl's footsteps jumped in front of her from off the shed's roof.

"It's that time." He mumbled, wiping his hands on his handkerchief and sticking it back into his pocket.

As they began to walk over towards T-Dog, Darcy asked him. "You know where you're going?"

Daryl nodded and picked the empty milk crate off the ground and placed it in the truck, "Hour out, hour back, tops. Shouldn' be too bad. We'll lose the light but," he shrugged. "Ain't no big deal. If anythin' should help us out more where the kid's concerned."

"Be careful?" Darcy looked to Daryl, her amber eyes glowing. She had rested her left elbow against the truck and leaned into it, peering her eyes at the man next to her.

Daryl stopped putting the extra water intended for Randall in the milk crate and nodded, "Yes ma'am." His tone was serious, and held no sarcasm. The gruffness and lowness of his voice glowed his country accent and Darcy sighed quietly to reassure herself.

"Only got so many arrows." T-Dog came out of the house suddenly, handing a small familiar pistol to Daryl.

Daryl took it, "That Dale's gun?"

T-Dog hesitated and Darcy gave him a sympathetic smile, "Yeah."

"Wish I knew where the hell mine is." Daryl called out.

Darcy crossed her arms and put a hand to her mouth to cover her smirk. After all, she knew full well where it had gone. She wanted to tell him what had happened, what Carl had done, but letting her dear friend know that Carl had basically ransacked through his things because he felt like it was a much needed adventure might not have been the best idea. Besides, the final outcome of Carl's clumsy decisions lead to something much bigger than simply taking a gun.

Daryl disliked Carl's behavioral patterns enough as it was. Constantly following the two, more so Darcy than anyone, had begun to get on his nerves. After all, Carl was the reason why Rick hadn't followed through with killing Randall in the first place.

"Ready?" Rick called out from behind the three. Darcy turned with her arms still crossed and nodded to him to which he returned. She passed him to climb the steps of the house but not before Daryl watched her carefully.

Daryl breathed and watched. The sight of her simply holding in a smirk from what he wasn't exactly sure was so beautiful and captivating he almost fainted. He watched her as she climbed the steps of the house and sits herself down on the top one. Daryl was thankful the Randall problem was being handled. Darcy and the rest of camp would be safe again, at least, for the time being.

"I'll go get the package." T-Dog told them.

Daryl sat holding his crossbow and tapping his knee with this forefinger repeatedly. He wanted to harden his skin and eyes to be numb again, numb to these feelings that seemed to keep coming back whenever she was around. He shook his head and brought his palm up to his forehead, smacking himself with it a few times. Daryl has his code, but he may not be able to hold to it much longer.

Rick pushed the cold lock, and the door swung open. The small space was empty, except for a blood stained mat at the corner of the darkness. Nothing. He closed the door, shrieking and scratching the way the frame tilted and grinded against the rusted hinges. The kid wanted to be let out. Now, he was free to go anywhere, bring back his thirty men and possibly attack. There was nothing he could do except go after him.

Daryl stomped around gazing through the tree line, slamming the door open that was presumably locked and secure from the outside. "Anythin'?" He called out to Darcy who was up in the rafters of the shed.

She shakes her head, not finding a trace of Randall ever being up there to get out. "Nothing." She called back, turning around and climbing down the ladder. Daryl helped her jump down the last few rails by grabbing her hand. "Not a speck of blood or even sign he was ever up there."

"How can you tell?" Lori asked as Daryl pushes past her.

"The vents that he would use to get outside aren't busted – no rustle in the hay bed..." She walked over to the cuffs still locked together. "This much blood on these cuffs would have left something behind."

"How long has he been gone?" Hershel asked.

"It's hard to say." Rick pulls his hand through his hair. "The cuffs are still hooked he must've slipped 'em."

"Is that even possible?" Carol asks, shocked.

"It is if you've got nothing to lose." Andrea interjected, climbing out of the shed.

"The door was secured from the outside." Hershel fumbled with the lock.

"We been out all day, no one saw 'im leave?" Daryl grunted. Darcy pulled her bow over her shoulder and held it firmly in one hand. He looked to her, knowing what she was thinking when she stood on her toes looking over the woods. "Best comb the woods 'n find him."

"Wait." Darcy aimed her bow at a rustle on the far edge a couple hundred feet away from them.

"RICK!" It was Shane, battered and bloodied from the gash in his nose marching towards the group with hatred in his eyes. "RICK!"

"What happened?" Darcy yelled toward him, slightly lowering her weapon.

"He's armed!" He yelled. "He's got my gun!"

"Are you okay?" Carl's voice was panic-stricken.

"I'm fine. Lil' bastard just snuck up on me. Clocked me in the face!"

Rick sprung into action, "Alright, Hershel, T-Dog, Darcy, get everybody back in the house. Glenn, Daryl, come with us."

Daryl loaded an arrow without hesitation, but Darcy grabbed his forearm. "I'm coming with you, something's not right about this and you know it."

He shakes his head and begins to walk away. "Gonna find this son 'a bitch. Keep everybody safe." He nods, disappearing into the woods with Glenn, Shane, and Rick before she has a chance to say anything else.

T-Dog tugs on her shoulder, "C'mon Darcy. We gotta go!"

Darcy can't tear her eyes away from where they vanished, "No I'm – I'm gonna stay here and wait for them –"

"Darcy, it ain't safe! It's getting dark and – and if Randall comes back with -"

"T-Dog please, I have to wait for them." Darcy pleads with her friend. "Go on inside, I can handle myself, promise."

The man sighs and begins to back away, "I'm gonna check up on you in a little while."

Darcy nods, "Okay, fine." She loaded her bow, turned back to the woods, and waited.

The air was cool and crisp as the night bore down on her. The autumn months brought a sharp chill with them this year and Darcy's hopes for an easy winter were shattered by this one night. It was silly of her to think mother nature would choose to be easy on them after all of this madness.

Darcy tightened her scarf and headed a few feet into the woods, checking her watch as she went. _Eight-thirty._ They'd been gone for over an hour.

"Come on…" She muttered quietly. Darcy finally reached the end of her ten-foot limit promised to T-Dog and peered through the trees for a sign, her amber colored eyes searching her surroundings unsuccessfully.

For a moment, she was on the edge of just tracking them herself to make sure everyone was okay. She knelt down for a moment, running her pale fingers across the leaves before giving up after a mere second. She wasn't skilled enough in tracking to hunt someone down in the night. Darcy stood up again, clutching at herself in a vain attempt to keep warm as her mind raced. This was just pure madness.

Consistently fast-paced rustles were heard suddenly, like feet crunching against the crisp leaves lying dead on the forest floor. Darcy backed herself out and into the open once again, it wasn't an ideal situation of being lost in the dark with something approaching, not knowing what exactly it was either.

The creak in her bow reached her ears as she pulled back on the nocking point of the string. Her worst fears were embedding themselves into the folds of her mind as she waited for whatever silhouettes now were growing closer and closer towards the farm.

Her breath hitched, seeing two familiar figures and instantly lowered her weapon. "Thank God."

"Darcy?" Glenn peered into the darkness.

"Where's Rick and Shane?" She only saw Daryl and him.

"Ya mean they ain't back yet?" He asked, taking his last step out of the woods and standing in front of her.

She shook her head, "No, not that I've seen –" Darcy suddenly noticed the blood on either men's clothes. "What the hell is that? Is that blood?" She pointed.

"Randall's a walker." Daryl shook his head in disbelief.

"You found him?" She asked, looking to Glenn.

"Oh yeah we found him." Glenn muttered sarcastically. "Something really weird is going on."

"What do you mean?" Darcy asked.

"He wasn't bit." Daryl lowered his voice, as if he was still unsure of the facts himself. "I checked. No bites, scratches. He got his neck broke."

Glenn waved slightly in a hurried fashion, "I'm going inside to see if they're back."

Daryl grabbed Darcy's arm and pulled her into the light of the moon that was angled by the house. "Shane was on top of Randall the whole time, they were together." He told her.

"Shane killed him?" Darcy asked, putting the pieces together.

"Tha's what I think." He shuffles his feet. "He's baitin' Rick."

Darcy focuses her eyes on the woods and doesn't blink. "Well we gotta go after them."

She turns to hustle past him but he pulls her back. "Ya can't go by yourself. Give me – give me ten minutes to check things here and I'll go with ya. Don't do anything stupid."

Darcy frowned and glanced behind him again. "Hurry up."

The next second, just as Daryl lets the door slam behind him, a loud shot seemed to rip throughout the entire night sky. Darcy's heart begins to beat rapidly, and she focuses her senses and all of her energy on trying to figure out where it came from.

Darcy walked to the other side of the shed in confusion, her ears ringing and pulse heightening at no other sound that followed the shot. It surprised her that no one else had heard it, although albeit it was a slightly muffled shot, but a shot nonetheless.

Time passes slowly, as Darcy stands perfectly still trying to gather any more signs, she hears a low growl from behind her that's emitted from the forest.

She turns slowly, her eyes locking on the trees that hold only the movement of the leaves blowing in the slight breeze that held in itself a smell of death in the air.

It was instant, everything went silent as a whisper and even the leaves being scattered by the same deadly breeze held no sound. Darcy swallows and loads her bow, although she knows in her heart there are more than she can handle.

One by one, the silhouettes of what they all feared most emerged slowly from the woods that once separated the dead from the living.


	26. The Violet Hour

Everything stands still, but only for a moment.

Darcy blinks slowly, lowering her bow mid-way as if she tries to shake the sense of hysteria from her body and mind. They appeared out of nowhere, and so quickly, to take a grasp of what had actually happened from Randall to this – it was incomprehensible.

Her mind whirred. Her body suddenly started aching, burning. She couldn't speak, she could barely see. But, she could hear the sound of the approaching dead. With eyes front and arms outstretched, their mangled bodies were tripping over themselves to reach her.

She stopped, and froze. "Oh my Go-"

"DARCY, GET YOUR ASS BACK O'ER HERE NOW!"

It was the familiar southern drawl that kicked her into gear, spinning on her heels and springing towards the house and out of reach for the walkers behind her. The voice that finally convinced her of danger came from the one man she probably, in that moment, could ever get her out of her trance and had once again saved her life.

As if everything that had already happened wasn't enough for mother nature to throw at them, there were now towering flames that engulfed the barn on the other side of the house, emitting light on hundreds of walkers heading right their way. The crackle of the wildfire became ever-present even over the howling of the living dead.

Darcy hadn't realized she was caught staring and trying to comprehend what exactly she was experiencing again. A quick shove and tug from Daryl has managed to get her up on the porch of the white farm house.

"What the hell is going on?!" She screeched, yanking her arm from Daryl's grasp.

The group stood staring, watching, just as she did. Almost as if they were in awe of the chaos that suddenly came out from underneath them. Glenn waved his hand frantically for Darcy to keep quiet.

"Walkers are everywhere, and ain't no sign of Rick or Shane 'cept that barn." Daryl pulled her aside again, getting a slight protest from Darcy as he did. His heavy footsteps clunked against the wooden boards as he stepped into her closely and lowered his voice. "We gotta go, leave the farm. We stay 'n fight we ain't gonna make a dent."

"And where are we gonna go? Back to the highway?" She asked, scoffing. She so desperately wanted this farm to be their home forever, in safety.

He nodded, "At least to meet up 'n get things planned out again. The group's split – "

"Patricia, kill the lights." Hershel whispered.

"I'll get the guns." Andrea went back into the house to retrieve their bag of weapons but Maggie came out first prepared already and passed them out.

"I got the number – it's no use." Daryl squinted off into the darkness behind the barn, still strong in his realistic mindset that a fight was out of the question if they wanted even a chance to survive in the ensuing chaos.

"You can go if you want." Hershel shrugged, loading his shotgun.

"You gonna take 'em all on?" Daryl asked, surprised at the old man's stubbornness that slightly matched his own.

"We have guns. We have cars." Hershel simply said.

"Kill as many as we can, and we'll use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm." Andrea nodded.

"Are you serious?" Daryl asked, bewildered at the messy plan.

"This is my farm." Hershel locked on Daryl and looked him dead in the eye, "I'll die here."

"All right." Daryl nodded, and turned to Darcy, his mind suddenly changed and shockingly excited. "It's as good a night as any." He gave a quick pat on her shoulder, and hopped the railing.

"Jimmy, you take the RV." Andrea started giving out directions to the group who listened without question. "Me, T-Dog in the truck. Glenn, Maggie, Darcy, take Shane's car."

"I'll mind the porch." Hershel declared, firing off his weapon at a lonely walker that managed to get closer than the rest.

The group ran to the vehicles parked around the farm house, courtesy of Rick's arrangement earlier that day. Unfortunately, boxes that were supposed to be unloaded before were overlooked, resulting in Darcy squished in the back seat. She ignored it as she rolled down the back right window of the SUV and for the first time, took out Dale's rifle.

As soon as the wheels started rolling with Maggie in the driver's seat, all hell broke loose. The vehicles drove up and down the fence line, firing at the skull of every walker in sight to their ability – Darcy took into account Daryl's words when she saw exactly how many there were. The silhouettes were unmistakable.

"Keep it steady!" Glenn called out to Maggie, sitting in the passenger seat with his shotgun resting on the window for good measure. Darcy did the same, balancing the rifle in her hands and peering through the scope at the enemy.

"Turning…now!" Maggie yelled to them, spinning the car on it's wheels and driving in the opposite way along the fence line. Glenn and Darcy both had the same idea of standing and sitting on the window to aim on the heavier side where the walkers where coming from.

This time, Darcy tossed aside the rifle and took out her two pistols. The walkers had broke through the weak wire fence with force, making it impossible to waste time with trying to focus on a rifle she barely used.

Unable to balance properly, Darcy threw a leg over the car door while the other was inside, and she held on to the handle up above on the car ceiling to steady herself. It was then she saw Daryl's motorcycle slide due to the slickness of the night grass. Her heart skipped an anxious beat, and she looked around to see if Glenn or Maggie had seen it, they didn't so they didn't bother to stop and turn around.

"Daryl's down!" She called out.

"I can't turn around here!" Maggie yelled, panicking.

Darcy clenched her jaw, locking her eyes on Daryl as she stumbled to fight off the walkers quickly approaching and to get back on his bike. She made a decision with haste.

"I'm going after him." The words escaped her lips like she had said it while casually sipping coffee and having a normal conversation.

Lifting her other leg over the door, the others never had a chance to actually hear nor grasp what she had told them. Darcy jumped, rolling against the grass when she hit and just barely making out the protests of Maggie, "ARE YOU CRAZY!"

Darcy got to her knees, raising her guns and firing at a few biters that took notice of her sudden presence. The revving of the motorcycle reached her ears, and she sighed with relief that Daryl had made it out of the pit.

"What the hell was that!" He yelled at her, stopping in front of her with the angriest sneer ever to cross his face.

"You went down I – I didn' t know what to –" She shook her head at him with wide eyes, honestly thinking she had to make the rash decision of going after him. Darcy pointed her gun again at a few wandering walkers behind him and took them down while he continued to yell at her.

"Just get on!" Daryl told her, revving up the bike again as Darcy climbed on the back of his seat and clutching at his sides. He drove off instantly, seeking cover on the side of the barn that seemed untouched for the moment.

Daryl jumped off immediately when he reached it, feeling the lingering touch of hers on his jacket. "What the hell where you thinkin'? Ya tryin' to get yourself killed?"

He waved his arm at her and stomped around, pacing, still yelling loudly over the flames and gunfire. Darcy didn't know how to react, the wave of emotion of everything that was happening to the place they were supposed to call home hit her like a storm.

"What was I supposed to do?!" She pointed, matching his volume. "Just leave you there?"

Daryl approached her, anger and frustration clouded his face, "So what ya gonna risk your life for me? To save me?!" He shook his head and got in her face, "What am I to ya, huh!? I ain't worth you riskin' your life for me! What am I to you!"

"Everything!" Darcy yelled.

She shoved him with everything she had straight into his chest that caused her hair to fall in her face and to make her falter along with him. Her breath heaved up and down inside her chest, making the force harder to choke back tears that were suddenly forming.

Daryl stood back, his famous frown and scowl that showed nothing true to his real emotions covered his features. He didn't quite face her, he wasn't sure if he could.

"You are everything to me." She choked, "And God, I fucking hate you for it."

Darcy puts her hands on her hips and hangs her head, she can't hold the tears back any longer. She forces her feet to move and turn away from any more kind of embarrassment. Her actions quickly direct her mind to the possibility of loosing Daryl's trust and companionship forever. But, blood curdling screams pierce the midnight sky and all those worries are dropped for the moment.

"That's Carol." Daryl says, climbing on his bike and receiving no word from Darcy as she returned to her previous position. The dirt road in their sights showed a small figure that was Carol running back and forth, trapped from only a few hungry mouths encircling around her. The depletion of energy was warring thin for her and both the hunters knew it.

Darcy shot down the walkers that were closest as Daryl focused on getting through to Carol. The coast was clear for now, but they only had a number of seconds before the next few dead reached them.

From the second her and Daryl took off on the bike, Darcy knew she'd have another decision to make. Deep down inside, Daryl knew it too.

Without hesitation, Darcy leaped off the bike and continued to shoot down the walkers that continued to close in on them. "Carol, get on the bike." She told the woman, walking past her and continuing to fire off rounds.

"Darcy, I – what about –" The woman's voice was panicking. It held heaviness, sorrows, exhaustion, and even guilt.

Darcy reached over her shoulder and grabbed the rifle from her back and pushed it into Carol's chest, "Get on the bike."

Carol's tears were flowing, as she took a few wary steps back towards the bike, her eyes locked on Darcy.

Unbeknownst to any of them, Daryl's head was dropped. Small droplets of water fell onto his jeans. He could not bear saying goodbye. He knew there was a lissome chance he would ever see this woman again. The woman that ultimately, showed him who he was in just these few months of meeting, who won his heart, and had no inclination of what she meant to him.

"The – the highway." Carol nodded, getting on to the motorcycle. "We'll wait for you on the highway. Where Sophia – where we lost Sophia."

Darcy nodded, another few tears fell and left streak marks through the heavy dirt on her cheeks. "I'll see you there." Her voice cracked.

Darcy glanced to Daryl who hadn't said a word, but he didn't need to; she saw him hastily wipe his eyes with his jacket sleeve and rev up the engine once more.

Not being able to apprehend or bear to watch them leave, Darcy turns around, facing the chaos once again before spinning on her heels entirely.

She faced the woods, and ran.


	27. Yellow Light

"She said she'd be here."

Daryl stood just behind the railing along the edge of the road, trying to be patient as he scanned the tree line below them. The group watched him whilst shooting unsure, hopeless glances between each other. There wasn't even the slightest inkling that she was out there, no movement or sound. It was only the strong feeling of instinct weighing heavily in Daryl's gut that she was out there and still alive.

He quickly grew impatient, growling deep inside his throat and stomping his feet on the gravel. He turned around and approached his bike, grabbing the handles and climbing on.

"I'm gonna go back." He insisted.

"No." Rick shook his head and stepped forward.

"We can't just leave her." Daryl told him.

"We don't even know if she's there." Lori said.

"I know she ain't there." Daryl shook his head. "We just gotta – gotta retrace 'er steps or som'in'. Track her down. She ran into the woods right when we took off –"

"Wait, what?" Glenn interjected. "You just left her there?"

"I didn't just 'leave her there', man. She jumped off the damn bike –"

"You didn't stop her?" Maggie uncrossed her arms.

"She saved my life." Carol spoke up in a mere whisper from behind Daryl. "Darcy gave up her spot on Daryl's motorcycle to save me. There wasn't really anything he could do about it, she –"

"She made up 'er mind." Daryl looked to the spots of blood on the road. "We still gotta go back. She may have stayed near the farm –"

"She's not there." Rick grew impatient. "She isn't. She's either somewhere else, or she's dead. There's no way to find her."

"So we're not even gonna look for her?" Glenn asked, shocked.

"After all she's done for the group?" Daryl stood up. "Ya ain't gonna even try?"

Rick pondered on the actions of that woman, how she volunteered for more than half of the shit they went through. She willingly went into the city looking for a drug dealer she never met, saved members of the group on multiple occasions, followed her instinct that proved to be strong and true, and even during the time of his own need, Darcy ran miles without stopping to reach Hershel to save his own son.

Rick sighed; his heart ached for his friend that was hopefully still out there, "We have no choice. We have to keep moving. There have been walkers crawling all over here. The best we can do is head for a safe location, and hopefully she'll find her way if –"

"If she's still alive." Glenn shook his head and scoffed, voicing his opinion that Rick was making the wrong call.

"That woman's alive." Daryl nodded. "Spent weeks alone in the start of all this shit. Darcy can outrun all them son 'a bitches." He turned away from the group, "She's alive."

Darcy was sprinting through the trees, leaping over rocks and fallen limbs that seemed to block her at every which way. The howls and growls of the dead echoed through her surroundings, forcing her to never stop, not to even rest for the ten normal seconds she typically allowed.

She knows she needs to keep moving, keep a steady pace, but she's trembling and light-headed now as she gasps for air. The world around her has transformed into smoke. The remains of the barn fire trickled through the woods and have clouded where she is trying to run. The farther she goes though, the more the smoke is slowly clearing but still too heavy to be healthy. Her deep breaths are anything but satisfying for her aching body.

Darcy gets enough footing in front of the closest walker to be able to duck behind a tree. Luckily, she finds a small lead pipe back in the earliest sections of the woods. This would prove to be more useful than her guns or her bow; she only had so many arrows, and that number was already wearing thin on her back.

She hears the low crackle inside the beings throat as it swiftly approaches around the tree. The shuffling of it's feet growing closer and closer allows her to time to think accurately of its taunting pace, she doesn't want to jump out too quickly and misjudge the proximity of the creature. She closes her eyes, and waits.

When she believes it is close enough, she steps out from behind the tree and while still in motion, swings the pipe upwards and strikes the walker against its forehead. She takes no time to sprint past it or see it falter and finally allow true death.

Passing another, she does the same. Like a baseball bat she swings, knocking the walker flat on its back with a large dent in the side of its skull. Darcy finishes the kill, by kneeling over the body and stabbing it once forcefully with the pipe, hearing the all-too familiar gurgling sounds of blood emitting from its throat and splattering across her neck. She closes her eyes feeling the warm, thick liquid on her skin and shivers.

Darcy only manages to get a quick, deep breath in before she whips her head up at the sounds of at least a dozen more walkers heading towards her from up ahead. She has no time to rest. She only gives herself enough time to barely steady her breathing and stare down at her shoes, watching as the speckles of blood drip off onto the leaves of where she stands. Then, Darcy picks up her feet once more and heads for the direction of the highway, praying that the group has safely met up with one another and are patiently waiting for her there.

She shakes her head, trying to get one person out of her mind. How could she be so foolish in just blurting out something so secret, so damaging in this kind of world they now lived in? And to Daryl of all people? What did he think about her now? But, she remembers his hidden tears when she told them goodbye. That gave her some hope that if she met up with them, everything would be okay.

Darcy hurdles over a fallen log in the midst of her thoughts. Her attempt wasn't high enough. The toe of her left boot catches the bark and she has launched herself into the twigs and rocks of the forest floor. She scrambles to her feet, ignoring more cuts and scrapes that dripped with blood that added to the collection. If it weren't for the color of blood, black and red, she wouldn't have been able to tell the difference from dead or living.

She looks behind her; she has gained a few more feet between her and the monsters that still insisted on shadowing her. They never stopped, so she couldn't either.

In a matter of minutes after her fall, her throat and nose start to burn. She begins to cough, the mixture of smoke and cold air makes her feel even weaker than before. Discomfort turns to distress until each breath sends a searing pain through her chest which pierces her lungs. She knows she has to hide; get this under control before she can go any further.

The only thing she can focus on are the sections of thick brush up ahead; she climbs towards them, still making sure if she is able to hide successfully without the beasts finding her. She manages to take cover just in time under the thickest bush, crouching on her hands and knees and lying flat on her stomach.

Darcy hopes the walker's minds are dense enough not to hear her breathing and know where she hides. They walk by, confused, looking around for their precious hunt. Darcy peers through the small leaves at the sight of one directly beside her, standing facing the bush as if it senses her presence; it is the only one to not move to continue to search.

Darcy's breath hitches in her throat, her eyes where rimmed with red and her face stained with everything imaginable. She knows that if the walker sees her, she's doomed.

The world has thrown yet another twist, but it's in Darcy's favor. Somewhere, deep in another section of the smoke filled woods, a loud scream penetrates the air. Andrea – Darcy knows it's her. Her mind goes frantic with questions and worry: is she caught? Hurt? Where is she? Can she reach her?

But then, just as it started, it stops. Darcy's heartbeat grew loud in her ears, and she is sure the walker has heard it until it turns around in the direction of the cry. Along with any that had followed Darcy, they all walk away.

She waits still until it is definite they will not turn back around, then she slowly emerges from the bushes, finally out of harms reach. But even though Darcy is thankful for the circumstances, she aches for her friend that she can only assume is dead somewhere between the trees.

But, to remain still is to allow death. Darcy is barely on her feet before growls, which she is sure is from the walkers far ahead now, make her frantically try to once again dodge the trees and rocks to reach the highway. Whatever vague plan she had thought of regarding returning to the spot where Sophia was lost is now wiped from her mind as she zigzags, dives, and leaps to avoid anything else from dragging her down to the forest floor and into the claws of the undead.

Her legs are screaming, begging for her to stop. But the clearing in front of Darcy only makes her go faster, harder. With her whole body she pushes through the opening,

"Daryl!"

Darcy falls to her knees, allowing tears of happiness to flow like a river onto her cheeks. She sniffs and wipes them away with a smile on her face. She pushes herself up again to her throbbing feet and climbs over the railing and seeing the washed away sign they left for Sophia.

She looks around, and the smile fades from her face. They weren't there.

"Daryl?" She calls out. She walks around the car and to the center of the road, looking both ways in case they were further down in another direction.

"Rick?" A breeze drifted through. Silence.

"Glenn?" Her voice started to break as she turned in the opposite direction again in search for her group.

"Carl?" A desperate whisper. Everything remains still and quiet.

Darcy tries not to panic and goes over the possible options; maybe they hadn't reached the highway yet? No. They all had cars except her. There was no way she had made it back before they did.

Out of the corner of her eye, something catches her attention. It was a single body of a walker that was shot down. She approaches it, noticing the all-too familiar arrow hole that has pierced it dead center in the forehead. She taps it with her finger and brings the warm liquid closer for her to examine it.

It was fresh. She had just missed them by maybe an hour.

Darcy's throat is tight with tears, hoarse from smoke and fatigue. She stands shakily, bending over and resting her hands on her knees. It hits her; she is once again alone in this world of chaos and not by choice. Her body jumps, and she begins to vomit. She looses whatever rests in her stomach, but even though there is little, her body continues to force it up until she dry heaves and falls to her hands and knees on the hard road.

When it's over, she scrambles backwards, kicking the body away and hitting her back up against a car. For a moment, she sits there, letting her tears drip down her face and clutching the sides of her head in hysteria. Darcy leans her head back against the car and cries into the sky.

She has no idea where to go now. The brief sense of hope she had as she reached the highway has vanished. Heaviness infuses her whole body, as if there's liquid lead in her veins. She looses the will to move, to do anything but sit there and wait for the sun to set and walkers to surround her. For about an hour, she remains motionless, staring at the body that lay in front of her.

It was the brief flash of the group's faces that brings her senses to live once more. The hazy vision showed everyone standing, waiting for her.

There was Carl, the boy who adopted Darcy as his 'big sister.' Maggie, who clutched onto Glenn and her sister, Beth, who all have become close friends with Darcy. Hershel, standing with his shotgun and resembling a wise father that encouraged those when things were particularly bad. Rick, the respected leader who put only the group before himself. Lori stood next to him holding Carl's hand. Darcy's eyes shifted to Carol, the woman she selflessly risked her life for to give her the chance to start a new just like she always wanted. Then last, Daryl. The man who never ceased to amaze Darcy and make her heart falter with excitement, respect, and worth.

They all were still out there, just waiting for her to catch up with them. She just had to find them.

Daryl stopped the motorcycle and pulled over to the side of the road when a single honk gave him the signal to do so. He looked back over his shoulder, seeing Rick getting out of the car and approaching him. They'd been driving for almost an hour, and Daryl still hadn't seen anything that pointed to Darcy when he scanned the woods while driving on.

"You out?" He asked Rick.

He received a nod, "Running on fumes."

"We can't stay here." Maggie told them as she got out of her vehicle followed by the others.

"Well, we can't all fit in one car." Glenn said.

"We'll have to make a run for some gas in the morning." Rick said, turning back to the group after quickly scanning the road up ahead.

"Spend the night here?" Carol asked.

"I'm freezing." Carl complained in his mother's arms.

She rubbed his arm, "We'll build a fire."

"You go out lookin' for firewood, stay close." Daryl turned to Darcy on instinct, his heart dropped when he realized she wasn't beside him. "I only got so many arrows. How you doin' on ammo?" He tried to ignored it.

"Not enough." Rick shook his head.

"We can't just sit here with our asses hanging out." Maggie told him.

"Watch your mouth." Hershel snapped. "Everybody stop panicking and listen to Rick."

"All right, we'll set up a perimeter. In the morning, we'll find gas and some supplies, we'll keep pushing on." Rick instructed.

Daryl could only focus on one thing at that point: finding Darcy. While the group waiting for morning to come he would go out and search. Hopefully he'd pick up on her trail quickly. Maybe she was closer to them than he thought.

"Glenn and I can go make a run now, try and scrounge up some gas." Maggie offered.

"No." Rick shook his head. "We stay together. God forbid something happens and people get stranded without a car."

Glenn sighed, "Rick, we're stranded now."

"I know it looks bad, we've all been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other." Daryl hung his head slightly and Carol noticed. The guilt was weighing on her heavily, she was the reason Darcy was gone. "I wasn't sure – I really wasn't – but we did. We're together. We keep it that way."

The group remained quiet as they waited for more encouragement from their leader. "We'll find shelter somewhere. There's gotta be a place."

"Rick, look around. Okay?" Glenn told him. "There's walkers everywhere. They're migrating or something."

"There's gotta be a place not just where we hole up, but that we fortify, hunker down, pull ourselves together, build a life for each other." Rick pointed. "I know it's out there. We just have to find it!"

"Even if we do find a place, and we think it's safe, we can never be sure for how long." Maggie said. "Look what happened with the farm. We fooled into thinking that was safe."

"We won't make that mistake again." Hershel noted.

"We'll camp here for the night." Rick said, again. He pointed to a stonewall built to block off the river above it. "Over there, get on the road at the break of day."

Carol approached Daryl, "Does this feel right to you?"

Daryl shook his head in slight annoyance, "I don' care what we do. Soon as we settle down I'm goin' out. Searchin' for her."

"You're gonna go all the way back there?" She asked.

He nodded, "If I have to."

Darcy had been walking for hours along a side road that branched off the main highway where they lost Sophia. It took her awhile to get going and pick a direction, but she started nonetheless.

Darcy took her abundance of common sense into account. She knew they wouldn't turn around and go the direction where they first came; toward Atlanta. That would be ridiculous. Instead, she remembered that Rick and Shane had discussed getting off the main roads after the first herd had passed them on the highway a few weeks ago. That's where she found herself at that moment.

She stayed close to the tree line, just incase she needed to duck down quickly and hide. Whether it be a car or more walkers, every now and again she'd make a mental note of a tree she could climb or a bush she could potentially hide in. It was the best she could do for now.

The night had fallen quicker than expected, mostly because she'd been walking for longer than she thought and a lot had happened that day that proved to be more exhausting than not. She would have to find somewhere to camp for the night and quickly; the woods would be infested with walkers at night.

Darcy stopped and agreed with herself that it was the appropriate time to do so; to get some rest or at least try to. She made sure to walk far enough into the woods so that she couldn't be seen from the road but not too far where she couldn't find her way back. The sound of running water nearby made her head in that direction in particular.

A wide riverbank could be seen a few paces in front of her. She kneelt down to it, eager to cup it in her hands and bring it to her mouth. To say she was dehydrated was an understatement. She took off her pack that now sported a few holes, and took out a plastic water bottle that Daryl had once given her when they looked for Sophia. She filled it to the brim and saved it for later. She didn't know how much longer it would be until she found water again, and she had to get moving.

The sun was just hovering over the horizon and Darcy quickly took the time to pick a tree to seek cover in. She began to climb one of the tallest she could find, but one that was also thick with branches that could hold her. When she reached the branch in sight just high enough off the ground, she pressed her back firmly against the bark and stretched out her legs in front of her.

It was growing darker and darker yet. Darcy fumbled through her pack, desperately wishing she had the powers of Harry Potter to conjure up some rope to tie her to the tree. Unfortunately, that was a pipe dream. Darcy rested her head back, frustrated and rested the pack on her legs. Maybe her belt? No. The tree branch was too thick for it to even wrap around. The only thing she would be able to use was her scarf, and that didn't provide much security, but it was something.

As soon as she reached up to grab her scarf and unwrap it from her neck, the bitter cold breeze nipped at her skin and she shivered. All she could do was grit her teeth and stick it out until morning…or if she just ended up falling out of the tree.

By the time she was done wrapping the thick red material around her legs, night was officially upon her. She shimmied her back against the trunk until she was somewhat in a decently comfortable spot and shut her eyes. She hadn't really slept in two days, and running all day long, her body doesn't protest and she instantly dozes off…

Something wakes her up. In her dream, it was voices, small crackles of fire. Darcy instantly sits up, taking into account it was still dark and she couldn't really take in her surroundings that well. Only the moonlight shining on the river was what she could clearly go by.

Darcy turned her head from side to side, trying to steady her vision and get comfortable in the dark. It was out of the corner of her left eye a dim yellow sputter of light made her unwrap her scarf from her legs and retie it around her neck. She pushed the tail end of it in her jacket and zipped it up, still keeping eyes locked on the fire that she estimated was maybe a bit more than a hundred yards away.

In all honesty, she couldn't believe she actually saw it. It was the tiniest fire she'd ever seen, which in those people's case was actually very smart. She would have just missed it if she hadn't been meticulous in scanning the area.

She listened; there were definitely hushed voices coming from that direction. Darcy's thoughts ran through her mind quickly with focus. It was a wonder how much energy and composure a few hours of sleep could give you.

Darcy bit her bottom lip and reached up to the branch above her, grabbing it as quietly as she could. Even though they were a good distance away, she didn't want to risk drawing any attention to herself. She wasn't sure who they were and if they were dangerous. She had to be extremely precautious and take her time.

Her foot finally reached the last branch of the tree and she let herself leap and land on the ground with ease. She stayed crouched, peering across the way for any sign of movement or if the strangers heard. Nothing was changed in that direction though, so she continued forward.

Darcy decided to pace herself. She would count to ten, and every ten seconds she would move closer to the next tree that would hide her with ease.

She moved swiftly, getting behind the first tree in sight and pushed her back up against it. Her back was sore, she could feel the sharp bark dig into her spine but she had to ignore it. She counted to ten, and moved again.

Her mind whirled with possibilities. What if these people were dangerous? What if they caught her? What if -

It had just struck her that these strangers could be them, her group, and her family. She didn't want to wait this time. Her impatience and excitement forced her forward. She stumbled though, snapping a few twigs while she jumped behind a tree.

She heard small voices, just above a whisper. "What was that?"

"Could be anythin'. Could be a raccoon, could be a possum –"

"A walker?" Darcy shook with emotion, she recognized those voices from anywhere.

"_Oh my God."_ She said in a hushed tone, barely able to breathe out her words. She had to be careful now, she caused a stir and if she just ran over to them now they could mistake her for danger.

Clearing her throat quietly, Darcy remembered a trick Daryl once taught her when they were out hunting one day. It was simple, but useful and practical for staying safe and out of harms way: A whistle. It was a bird like whistle that was used between the two when words weren't ideal for the situation. A whistle of warning, hello, or just to get the other person's attention.

Darcy cleared her throat for good measure and still hid behind the tree just in case things went bad; just in case she mistook them for another group. With the amount of exhaustion and lack of sleep, it could happen. So, she let out a slow, smooth whistle.

Nothing.

She tries again, this time a little louder. A second later, she hears the voice that made her mouth curve into a hopeful smile.

"Listen!" He hushed the group.

"What is it?"

"Just listen!"

Darcy does it again, this time though, her whistle cracks near the end; she knows it them for sure this time.

Then, the sounds of sweet honey reached her ears. The whistle was repeated back to her and she broke down. She slid to the ground and covered her face as the tears fell, but only for a moment. She then scrambled to her feet and jogged over to the fire. It was surrounded by old abandoned stone walls, right next to the river.

Darcy saw the group come out of the safety of their fort one by one, each holding a weapon but looking frantically around for the whistler. Daryl had taken it upon him to actually step out a few paces into the woodland, crossbow in hand but heart pounding loudly in anxiousness as he searched for her.

"Darcy!" He yells mindlessly, not having a care in the world who or what heard him.

He takes one step around a tree, and stops. He blinks as if he's standing in front of a ghost. He is suddenly overwhelmed, and the woman standing in front of him is unexpectedly obscure.

As his eyes start to focus, she becomes less of a blur and more of a figure. Taking in the sight, he can see her auburn hair that glistens against the moonlight and is so wavy that he's taken aback when the bitter breeze tousles it. Dirt, blood, and bruises cover her skin, and there are rips and tares on every piece of clothing she wears. Her eyes are red all around from exhaustion, heartbreak, and lack of hope.

To some, she would be unrecognizable, but to him, she is unmistakable in identity. She carries the familiar rifle on her back, and clutches her bow in her hand. She still remains flawless, like an untouched figurine made without a single flaw.

It was until that moment that he has never felt complete joy in his entire life.


	28. Postcards

If you've never felt the sensation of your mind frazzling then let me tell you- it's not pleasant. It's times like these when your poor brain struggles to find the right words, the right emotion, the right answers to hundreds of things all at once and this is exactly how these two hunters felt right now.

It was completely silence as they stood a few feet away from each other in the moonlight, still trying to put all the pieces together; still trying to clear their minds to makes sure they weren't dreaming.

Darcy tries smiling, but she covers her mouth with one hand as she points at him with the other. "Hi." Is all she can manage to say before she lets out one final deep breath and drops her shoulders from their tense composure. She takes a step forward, and he drops his crossbow in no time to walk over to her.

"You're alive." Daryl pulls her to him without hesitation, fear, or embarrassment. He grasps the back of her head firmly as he pulls her into his chest and wraps his other arm around her shoulders. "I knew it."

Daryl rests his cheek on top of her head and feels her body shake from fear, yet complete joy as he breathes her in and closes his eyes in relief. Her tears soak through his shirt. She clutches at his back and presses herself into him as much as she can, enjoying the warmth and company of such a man and friend.

After all this time to have all hopes and prays go unanswered, constantly feeling the emotion of disheartenment one day after another, to say seeing such a core aspirator of the group whom was predicted to be either dead or lost was completely unexpected and staggering was an understatement to say the least. This was the sign they waited for, the indication that maybe there was a chance for all of them to hope and get out of this alive.

Daryl takes hold of Darcy's shoulders and pushes her to stand in front of him. "Ya alright? Ya ain't bit or scratched right? Because if ya came all this way just to – it's a sick joke and I ain't gonna be 'part of it."

Darcy lets out a genuine laugh and wipes her eyes. "No, I'm fine." She shakes her head. "What about you – the others? Everyone alright?"

Daryl shrugs, and makes it known to her he isn't worried about the others in that moment. "We're doin' just fine."

Behind them, the group grows restless waiting for Daryl to respond to their calls. He hasn't heard them and neither has Darcy, they are wrapped up in the unexplainable miracle in front of them to pay any attention to their surroundings.

It was until loud footsteps through the woods heading in their direction that caught their ears. "Darcy?" Rick calls out, completely taken aback. The two break away and glance over, just realizing the group's presence watching them, giving the same shocked expression as Daryl.

"Oh thank God!" Carol screeched, letting out a lighthearted laugh. She runs over to the beaten woman, embracing her in a tight hug and lets the tears flow. Daryl has relentlessly let her rip Darcy from his grasp and takes a step back from them.

Overcome by emotion, he puts on a scowl and rests his hands on his sides. He walks away from the group as everyone rushes to welcome her back invitingly and gratefully. He doesn't tare his eyes off of her for a moment, pacing outside of the group and waiting. He aches to hold her again.

Darcy wipes her sleeve across her face, "I got back to the highway maybe – maybe an hour after you'd left." She holds a smile on her face but continues to let the tears overflow remembering how hollow she felt.

"There were walkers everywhere - I'm so sorry we just…" Rick hung his head in guilt and shifted his weight from one foot to the other "I made the call… we had to keep moving."

Darcy nodded, completely overwhelmed and not able to get very many words out. She hung Glenn, "I'm so happy you're all okay –" She furrowed her eyes a bit, confused once again as she ran her hands over her face and looked around. "Where's the rest of us?"

"This is it." Rick nodded, still staring at the ground while the crackling embers of the fire lit his tired features. Darcy returned the nod and didn't say another word about it. The group remains silent after hugs were passed around.

"How did you find us?" Lori asks, bewildered at the woman's strength and perseverance. "How did you know where we were?"

Darcy shrugs, "I didn't. I walked from the highway and stayed off the main roads – knew you'd have to be dumb enough to turn back towards Atlanta." She smiles and scratches the back of her head. "Got off the road near nightfall and climbed a tree to stay off the ground – I woke up and saw your fire."

"How'd you know it was us?" Glenn asks.

"The whistle." Daryl speaks up from behind the group and locks eyes with Darcy. "Taught her the whistle when we went huntin' one time. Couldn' o' been no one else."

Darcy gives a weak smile but it's a true one nonetheless. He nods at her and she returns it just before more leaves start rustling around them.

"Let's head back." Rick tells them. Just as the group starts to disperse, he approaches Darcy and keeps his voice low. "I'm glad you made it back, I truly am. But I'm sure you understand that we have to take certain measures to make sure this group stays safe."

"She ain't bit, Rick." Daryl comes up next to her and scowls at his friend.

"There's no way to know for sure." He shakes his head. "She's covered in scratches. We'll just have Carol look her over –"

Daryl shakes his head, "Nah, I'll do it. I'm the only one who can tell the difference between the real thing and a damn tree branch anyways."

He moves past them while Darcy gives a quick nod to tell Rick she understands it's just a necessary precaution. She follows Daryl soon after who leads her to the road to stand next to the cars for some privacy.

"Daryl - " She starts to speak.

"I know you ain't bit." He says with a deeper southern drawl. He turns around to face her. "Just humorin' him – get him off ya back."

They stand in each other's company quietly for a few minutes. Darcy picks at her fingernails while Daryl keeps his head low but squints at her through the darkness. Daryl's eyes have flickered unnoticeably to Darcy's lips. She finally lifts her head up and they meet each other's gaze. They hope the other doesn't notice that their hearts are in their throats.

Daryl fought himself inside his mind. There was another reason why he brought her over and away from the others. He had thought about it for some time, but never dared to go there. Now he considered it unavoidable, something that needed to be done and couldn't be changed. That knowledge was frightening in its absolute decision. But it was also easy to accept, because it was going to happen. Right here, right now.

Maybe that was why some words, some places and some people were frightening? They brought to light what was going to happen, what was already underway and what was unavoidable.

Daryl swallowed the lump in his throat and took a wary step towards her…

"Did you find out what happened with Randall?" Darcy spoke. Daryl finishes his step but stops in his tracks. She isn't aware of what's going through his head and doesn't know what she interrupted.

Daryl clears his throat and regains his self-composure. "Shane killed him."

"But he turned?" Darcy furrows her brows.

Daryl sighs and turns to sit on the railing on the edge of the road. ""Member Jenner?" He asks, she nods. "Right before we high-tailed it out of there, he told Rick somethin'." He pauses, and looks to her to make sure she's listening. "We're all infected."

Darcy blinks. "I'm sorry, what?" She takes a step backwards.

Daryl stands up, "He told us today. Don' matter how we die, we turn into one. You, me –"

Darcy rests her back up against the Honda and lets herself fall to the ground. She covers her mouth and Daryl kneels in front of her to wait for her to focus again. It was like seeing everything in a new way, like everyone was a ticking time bomb ready to devour everything around them but no one knew for sure when.

"Why didn't he say anything sooner?" She asks.

Daryl shrugs, "Felt like we didn' need to know."

"So what did Rick know Shane did it?" She focuses on another issue instead. There isn't anything she can do about the truth at the moment. Nobody could. A part of her though didn't seem to mind that Rick hid that secret from them, he had gotten them so far already, she trusted him and believed he had his reasons why.

"Think so." He nods. "Didn' seem to surprised when I told 'im."

"And Shane?"

"'S far as I know, he got bit. Killed by 'em." Darcy lets out a deep breath as Daryl jerks his head towards camp. "C'mon." He grabs her arm and helps her up. "Let's head back."

They walk in comfortable silence back, side by side. They both feel overwhelming relief that the other is safe and in each other's sights. Daryl watches Darcy burrow her neck into her scarf and put her hands in her jacket pockets.

"Ya cold?" He asks.

She shakes her head, "I'm fine. Just coming to realize that winter isn't going to be good to us this year."

"Gonna be a long one." He agrees, but then remembers something. "Ain't you from Colorado?" He chuckles slightly, making Darcy side step into him weakly to make him stop teasing her.

"It's different when you have heating and shelter and a bed to sleep in."

"We'll find a place." He nods to her as they approach the fire and Darcy stands next to Carol. He joins her as he continues. "Promise."

"There's something out there." She tells the two. "We heard it, it's close. We need to leave, I mean, what are we waiting for?"

"We didn't hear anything." Darcy whispers to Daryl and he shakes his head to confirm her statement. Apparently, however, it wasn't enough to convince the group. Everyone is standing now, holding their weapons at the ready and turning their heads in every direction to point out the disturbance.

"Which way?" Glenn asks.

"It came from over there." Maggie said.

"Back from where we came." Beth nods.

"Yeah." Maggie confirms.

"The last thing we need is for everyone to be running off in the dark." Rick spat; Darcy notices the irritable change in his tone. "We don't have the vehicles. No one's traveling on foot."

A branch then snaps from outside the stonewalls. Darcy lifts her bow off her shoulders and turns around toward the sound. Daryl already holds his crossbow.

"Don't panic." Hershel whispers.

"I'm not –" Maggie takes a breath. "I'm not sitting here, waiting for another herd to blow through. We need to move, now."

"No one is going anywhere." Rick shouts a hoarse whisper.

Just then, Carol hisses at Rick. "Do something."

"I am doing something!" He retorts. "I'm keeping this group together, alive! I've been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this! I killed my best friend for you people for Christ's sake!"

Darcy's head whips around at his confession as does the groups. The expressions of shock and a rude awakening were unmistakable. Darcy and Daryl shot unnoticeable glances at each other and back to Rick as they wait for him to continue.

"You saw what he was like. How he pushed me, how he compromised us, how he threatened us." Rick shifts between his feet and his focus is now on Lori. "He staged the whole Randall thing, led me out to put a bullet in my back. He gave me no choice! He was my friend, but he came after me."

Carl beings to cry into Lori's chest, "My hands are clean." Rick tells them.

No one moves or says a word. They all know it had to be done, that Rick's actions where in self-defense. But the thought and realization of their leader murdering his once best friend had everyone on edge, no matter how out-of-line Shane was. It was the right choice, but the exhaustion of everyone in that moment made it bigger than what it ought to be.

"Maybe you people are better off without me." Rick scoffs. "Go ahead. I say there's a place for us, but maybe – maybe it's just another pipe dream. Maybe I'm fooling myself again. Why don't you – why don't you go and find out yourself?"

"Send me a postcard!" He points to the woods with his gun and Darcy lowers her head trying to hide that she's looking at the other's reactions. "Go on, there's the door. You can do better? Let's see how far you get."

Rick's voice is like snake venom. He knows that no one will leave, that he is the best chance they have at survival. Darcy has no intention of leaving, and she hopes Daryl feels the same.

"No takers? Fine. But get one thing straight – you're staying, this isn't a democracy anymore."


	29. December

Darcy clasps the flask between her hands even though the heat from the once boiling water has long since seeped into the frozen air around her. Her muscles are clenched tight against the cold. If a pack of walkers were to appear at this moment, the chances of scaling a tree before they attacked are highly unlikely.

She knows she should get up, move around, and work the stiffness from her limbs. It is a bit amusing that she had wandered out into the forest with the sole purpose of getting heat back into her body. But instead she sits, as motionless as the rock beneath her, while the dawn begins to lighten the woods.

She can't fight the sun. She can only watch helplessly as it drags her into a day that she's been dreading for months; the start of winter. It had come in full force, toying with the group's hearts one day and the next, freezing unbearable rain.

Darcy's cheeks and the tip of her nose are a bright pink and the cold bitter air nips at her porcelain features. She was sure by this point in the early morning she had frost bite on her ears, too.

She sees the sun continues to rise and as long as it did, she would too. She makes herself stand and all her joints start to complain along with her left leg that had unnoticeably fallen asleep while sitting down for so long. It takes several minutes of hesitantly leaning and putting pressure on it so she can feel it again. Her sharp intakes of breath leave a sting inside her lungs from the frigid air.

Darcy had volunteered for watch after Rick; she couldn't sleep anyways. She was sure Daryl hadn't known she'd slipped out after relieving their leader, either. Rick made a rule to never be on watch alone. The fear of something happening or if someone simply fell asleep could cause crucial damage. She lied to him though, saying Daryl was on his way out in another minute. Darcy had guessed Rick didn't think twice about what she said; he trusted her to say the least.

Daryl wouldn't have wanted her to go alone either, but even in this world, personal time to oneself was crucial. Besides, she knew in her bones that she was starting to feel ill and if she was around Daryl for too long, he would pick up on it and make her sit out as long as it took to heal and get rest. It only a mere cold, but at the end of the world, something so small could turn into something big.

She has been in the woods for quite some time, maybe a few hours. She hasn't made an attempt to catch some food, so she has nothing to show her group when she returns. Her footsteps are like a mere whisper through the Georgian woods. She makes her way back to hopefully see that Hershel has boiled more water for her to sip on. It is the only way to keep warm lately; her leather jacket was getting worn from the weather, so she really only had her scarf to bundle her neck in.

That night Rick announced there were no more discussions based on his decisions, the group grew silent and obedient. Darcy wasn't sure if Rick knew that he had taken on full responsibility at that point, whatever happened to the group from then on would be on his conscience only.

There were sometimes though, where Darcy would see that Rick was second-guessing himself. She had always respected him and his decisions, even if she small doubts about them in the beginning. Rick always held out and kept his word; she knew that for certain, but the bitterness in how he handled the situation the night of the fire was lodged deep in her heart. She knew everyone else felt that way too. That was the night group had turned upside down, or so it would seem their leader had.

When those times where Rick needed a second opinion, she was somewhat surprised when he would approach not only Daryl, but her as well. Darcy made it a point to hold her tongue when it did happen, trying to give him the impression that it actually didn't matter what her thoughts were; he had the upper hand in making the ultimate decisions.

Darcy bent beneath a tree with a light frost kissing its branches. She looked up at the small one-story white house. She wasn't surprised to see Daryl now up at the crack of dawn like usual, pacing back and forth on the weak porch; most likely waiting for her to return.

She sighs from being exhausted and swallows to try and relieve her burning throat. It stung something awful as she reaches up with her right hand and massaged the tenderness gently. Darcy holds her bow lazily in her left hand as she gathers up enough energy to make herself visible to her friend and walk confidently towards him.

She watches as Daryl crosses the lawn to her, the sunlight from the horizon picking up a fresh hint of frost in his dark hair. He looks strong, but exhausted just like the rest of them, so different from the constantly on-the-move man she knew back at the farm.

"What're ya doin'?" He spat, crunching his eyebrows together and his mouth formed a thin line.

"I took watch after Rick." She sniffles as she pushes past him and walks slowly towards the house.

"Why didn' ya wake me?" He steps in front of her again, which stops her dead in her tracks.

She gives an annoyed expression, "Needed some time to myself."

"Ya know that ain't the way to do it." He shakes his head lightly at her. "What were ya thinkin'?"

"Did you say anything to Rick?" She ignores his question.

"Woke up in time to get out here before he even noticed." He scoffed. "Don' do that again. Havin' time to yourself ain't worth you gettin' killed. Besides, I ain't about to take one of them huntin' with me when they don' know what they hell their doin'."

"Yes sir." Darcy gives a light laugh, "Anybody else up yet?"

He shakes his head, "No one 'cept Rick. Maybe Carl."

As if on cue, Rick opens the squeaky door and steps on the porch behind them. Darcy glances over Daryl's shoulder and nods her head for him to turn around.

"I want to check out this area, see if we can stay a few more nights." Rich approaches them as he moves his head still scanning the area. He stops in front of the two, "I know we could all use more rest." He nods his head and looks back to the house.

"Daryl and I can comb the woods." Darcy's voice goes raspy and she has to clear her throat. "Make sure there's nothing too serious nearby."

Rick looks to her with an unsure expression, "You up for it right now? You haven't gotten much sleep."

"I'll be fine." She nods.

"We'll try 'n get some meat too. Been awhile since we've gotten a decent meal." Daryl bobs his head.

Rick returns the nod, "Alright. Stay safe. In and out, don't take too long."

A sharp snap and a white rabbit was shot to the ground.

Daryl walks over and pulls out the arrow before picking up the limp animal and tying it to his belt. He stands, glancing behind him and sees that Darcy is leaning weakly on one leg and staring off to the left towards the ground.

His mouth hangs open a slither as he eyes her carefully, "Darcy?"

"Hmm?" She answers, her eyes not moving from their locked position.

"Ya see somethin'?" He walks over towards her and tries to see in the direction she's looking. He can't see anything of interest.

She shakes her head and purses her lips. "No." She steps out of her trance and starts picking up her pace and walks around him.

"You alright?" He asks, watching her unconvinced.

Darcy stops and turns around, nodding. "Yeah. I think I'm just tired."

Daryl lets his eyes scan over her at a slither and bobs his head towards him. "C'mere."

With a hesitant stare, Darcy takes small steps towards him and he meets her halfway. He now notices how unusually pale her skin is and how the rims of her eyes are a blush pink.

He leans over and puts his crossbow down and turns back to her. Daryl reaches up with both hands and hesitates to hold her cheeks. He wriggles his fingers to get the tingling sensation out of them and lightly cups the sides of her face with barely the touch of a feather. He then brings her forehead to rest against his own cheek. Darcy feels the light stubble and the warmth of his rough skin and closes her eyes with ease.

"Shit, Darcy. Ya ain't sick are ya?" He mumbles, pressing his cheek harder against her forehead to be absolutely sure. "Ya feel warm."

"I'm fine." Darcy pushes him away. "I told you – I'm just tired. Let's just finish this up and get back."

Daryl eyes her carefully again and leans over to pick up his weapon. He hears her footsteps start to fade and he looks up just as she turns her back and heads a bit to the east.

He calls after her, "Would ya quit goin' off by yourself?"

Darcy turns around and looks up at him, ten feet away, just watching her. "Get your panties out of your ass and let's go then."

She can see him trying to read her expression, to decipher whether she means it as sarcasm or bitterness. Darcy bits her lip to keep from smiling. He can only smirk at her as she turns right back around and continues. She has slowed her pace a bit, waiting for him to catch up.

The two keep alert the entire scout, hearing really nothing of interest or danger. They couldn't sense it either. It was until they came to a clearing where they found a small white farmhouse with dark green shutters.

It wasn't the same as Hershel's, but it was close enough to make the two stand in remembrance and slight comfort. Essentially, the group formed closer than ever there. It was a time of security and opulence.

It was taken away though, in one slight motion. Darcy saw the end of hope, the beginning of the destruction of everything she held dear in the world. You would think in that moment, she would be in utter despair, including the others. That's what was strange though, she felt nothing but relief. She has made it through those times and has come out stronger than before. Not to mention, Darcy has someone, who at that very moment, stands by her at every waking moment who seem to always push the defeating thoughts out of her mind.

"Let's check it out." Daryl lowers his voice, heading first towards the barn on the far left side of the house. Darcy follows closely with her head up and spinning in alertness.

Daryl holds the sliding door handle of the barn with his crossbow on his back. He looks up at Darcy and holds up one hand with his fingers showing "three." She positions herself and nods at him that she is ready. He counts down slowly and wrenches open the door with a screeching loud sound. Darcy jumps to her form with her body straight, aiming inside.

She sees nothing and lowers her bow a bit before taking a few steps inside the darkness. It is an old stable. The Hay is still stacked neatly in the corner and everything appears to be untouched. Frost and dust cover the machines and stable doors. There are no horses inside.

Darcy feels Daryl's hand on the small of her back, his crossbow held upright with his left hand. She knows is aware that her body is shaking from the cold. She figures Daryl had noticed it too, immediately removing his vest that sports two worn angel wings from his shoulders and puts it around her. He only wears a long sleeve shirt underneath his leather jacket.

The vest does little but it comforts her nonetheless. It is large on her small frame. She adjusts it on her shoulder and gives him a nod of thanks. He returns it before searching each stable one by one on the left, while Darcy proceeds to check the right.

There was little even though it had been left behind completely. It was until Darcy reached the last stable on the far end that she found a stack of heavy horse blankets. She let out a sigh of relief and picked up the pile. She brought it out into the main aisle and picked up one of a sunset pattern and started to shrug off Daryl's jacket so she could give it back to him.

"Leave it on." She brings her head up and focuses on Daryl's gaze. "I'll be fine 'n it suits ya better anyways."

Daryl's heart had started to beat loudly when he first gave it to her. Now and then, he tried to show small implications of his feelings towards her. Seeing his vest draped over her shoulders, in his mind, signified to the world she was his to care for and look after. He couldn't and didn't want to picture her with anyone else, not that there was much to choose from anyways. He made it up in his mind that at that moment; no other would touch her or ever feel remotely as strongly as he did for this woman.

"You'll freeze." She tells him.

He nods and reassures her, "I'll be alright."

Darcy sits back on the cold ground and looks at the blanket between her fingertips. An idea comes to mind and she lays out the small thick fabric while taking out her knife from her boot.

"What are ya doin'?" He furrows his brows at her.

Darcy cuts in the middle of the blanket a small slither and then a hole. She stands up, taking it with her and looks at Daryl. He eyes her with curiosity.

"Put his on." She motions, stepping close to him holding up the fabric. He kneels over and puts his head through the makeshift hole and stands up. Darcy steps back and crosses her arms.

"There." She smiles lightly at the poncho.

"It's warm." He looks down at himself.

Darcy laughs slightly, "That's the idea." She steps forward and readjusts the cover around his neck. "Is it too tight?"

He shakes his head. "It's perfect."

They are close again. Daryl can feel her breath hot against his cheek as she stands on her toes to tailor the cloth around his neck. When she is finished, she steps back. His eyes are locked on hers and he blinks awkwardly, trying to not stare but he can't help it. They stand in silence, in each other's company, staring and wondering if the other wanted the same thing.

Daryl didn't know if the night of the fire was in the heat of the moment or really true. He had never had anyone admit anything to him before, and he had never been as close to any woman as he is with Darcy. He felt like a kid again when he was around her, the good times at least. Those days where he would wander off by himself in the woods, climb the tallest trees, have his own adventures where he didn't have to worry about anything else.

Daryl is still the same as he'd always been, though. He proved to be shy and awkward, even though he wore his heart on his sleeve and tried constantly to hide it with a scowl. It was especially like this when he fell into unfamiliar territory. This happened often with Darcy deep in his heart but he tried to stay strong and not ruin the one relationship he wanted to keep and protect.

So when he closed the gap between them further and held her cheek gently in his right hand, he could feel it was the in the right, that it was true. He didn't put on a scowl when he tilted his head, and leaned further into her. He didn't run away when the tingling sensation bolted throughout his entire body as his lips just _barely_ grazed hers. He only took a sharp breath in, stopping and hesitating to make absolutely sure she wanted it too.

Darcy stepped back though, clenching her teeth in immediate regret.

She watched as his head dropped to the floor, unable to speak or move under her gaze. He was heartbroken. She could read it on his strong features.

Why did she do that? She knew in her heart she wanted it to happen, she _needed_ it to happen. Was it fear? Was it because of last time they let their guards down? It had happened before, unplanned and unexpected. It only came back to haunt them both. She still to that moment didn't know if he meant it.

Darcy remembered her aunt in that moment, something she told Darcy that stuck deep inside her heart to that very day:

"_We women hid. We hide behind our makeup. We hide behind our humor. We hide with angry silences and punishing withdrawals. We hide our truest selves and offer only what we believe is wanted, what is safe. _

_We act in self-protective ways and refuse to offer what we truly see, believe, and know. We will not risk rejection or looking like a fool. We have spoken in the past and been met with blank stares and mocking guffaws. We will not do it again. _

_We hide because we are afraid. We have been wounded and wounded deeply. People have done wrong against us and we have done wrong as well. To hide means to remain safe, and to hurt less. At least that is what we think. And so by hiding, we take matters into our own hands. And throughout it all, it has never occurred to us that in all of our hiding, something precious is also lost." _

What is lost is something that she and Daryl need so very, very much. Maybe this was the second chance they both were looking for, and they both were growing to accept and cherish.

Darcy stepped forward to the man who was slowly withdrawing inside himself. She shakily brought his face to look at hers. She stood up on her toes, bringing her lips gently to his and putting an end to the scowl he always wore and the doubt he had about himself. Darcy held out one hand to the back of his neck as she pulled him towards her, and it took only a few seconds for Daryl to react.

They both were trembling, shaking from how long they wanted this to happen, shaking from the consequences that were soon to follow after getting too close. Daryl walked forward; pressing his body against hers and pushing her back up against the stall she previously stood by, all the while gently caressing his lips with hers.

Darcy felt the intensity of the kiss begin to grow as Daryl let his hands fall to her small waist, gripping her tightly as she grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him all the more.

Daryl's hands slid up her middle and up to her neck, cupping her cheeks and cherishing the moment he never wanted to end. Darcy moved her hands to his chest, gripping the thick fabric and pulling him into her as much as possible.

The kiss was tender, but driving at the same time. They could feel each other's body trembling, trying so hard not to waste a second of this moment and making sure it was as perfect as it could be. Darcy felt secure as he held her close to him, and Daryl felt important and loved for the first time in his life.

Then suddenly, they pulled apart, slowing down the kiss and finally stopping all together. Darcy had her hands still on his chest but they were held up slightly against him. He loosened his grip now barely resting on her hips.

They stood there, their breath burning in their throat, hearts pounding in their chests. Darcy couldn't move or speak as she glanced across at Daryl who was standing, staring at her.


	30. A Close Call

"What happened with you two?"

Darcy sits with her back up against the inside wall of the abandoned living room, playing with the material of Daryl's poncho in between her fingertips.

She bites her lip and shrugs at Maggie as she continues to stare down at the cloth. "Nothing."

Maggie rolls her eyes and walks towards the door, "Well, I think something happened that you aren't telling me." The woman's country accent fills the air smoothly, and Darcy looks at her friend.

The group has been on the move since the start of winter. Gathering supplies necessary for day-to-day survival and trying to find a place to hole up every few nights was their main priority. There has yet to be a sign of a location where Rick has promised they could build a life for each other. The hope of the group is wearing thin, especially with Lori's baby due any day.

"Like what?" Darcy is curious.

Maggie lets out a loud breath, "I don't know. The two of you are just so – Daryl, I mean – "

"Spit it out." Darcy leans her head back against the cold wall and closes her eyes.

"Giddy?" Maggie makes a squished face and Darcy's laugh escapes her with no effort of trying to hold it back. "As if that's possible for Daryl."

The atmosphere between the two had definitely changed. How could it not? It was a kind of peace, happiness, and somewhere along the lines of hopefulness. They had accepted that maybe, this was a good thing, letting the other get close. It would be something to hold on to, rather than avoid because they were too scared of loosing each other. That same fear still remained, but they would enjoy what was placed in front of them, even given the chaotic circumstances of the world around them.

Maggie was right, though. Daryl was happier, as was Darcy, but she had a better way of hiding it. It was an understanding between the two that their relationship would stay their relationship and no one else's. But, there was a seeable joy in the man that he had never felt before, and every time Darcy was in the room he was no longer pressed to look away.

He ached to be near her and hold her – although the fear of rejection still remained, those feelings were there. He would just have to become comfortable enough to let them show.

It was the small notions that Darcy had come aware of and accustomed to that allowed her to recognize the way he showed feelings towards her. The shy blinks, the small smirks, the light taps with his elbow as they joked around. It was cute, and she loved every second of it.

"Well, I think ya'll are good for each other. Like a perfect romance in a tragic state." Darcy smirks but doesn't respond. Maggie takes that as her cue to sit next to her.

The front door shuts quietly, but they have memorized the sound by now. The familiar creeks in the floorboards reach their ears and their heads lift up to see Daryl himself, walking into the room with a saunter that Darcy can't help but enrapture herself in. He immediately lifts his eyes to meet with hers. Only she can see the slight movement of his mouth that forms into a small smile. He nods at Maggie and crosses the room into the hallway while the heartbeat of each of the hunter's increases. Rick and T-Dog soon follow.

Darcy can feel the stare of Maggie next to her, and she turns to face the smug look of her friend. Darcy says nothing but scoffs and stands up with the blanket still in her hands, making her way to follow the others into the next room. Maggie is close behind.

When Darcy and Maggie walk in, a circle has formed with the others. Daryl leans against the doorframe and watches as she passes him, giving her another nod as she stands by his side. She holds out the homemade poncho she had given him that cold December day and he takes it shyly from her.

"Alright." Rick rubs the bridge of his nose and rests an arm along the beaten couch in front of him. "We scouted about a mile radius, it seems like we've got a herd heading our way. The plan is to start packing up, make our way out at dawn. We've got enough time to wait at least until morning. In the mean time, I'll take Daryl, T-Dog, and Darcy to scout down the road a ways. Should be a house or two along the road."

Rick looks to the group, "Any questions?" He asks. No one answers but stares on, quietly stealing glances from one another. "Alright. You three, let's go."

The four stand in front of a rickety looking two-story home maybe two miles down the road from where they were held up.

"We'd need a chainsaw to get in there." T-Dog shakes his head and put his hands on his hips.

"Too bad we ain't got one." Daryl mumbles while he starts to pace.

"It's boarded up tight – might be safe. Could be keeping the walkers out." Rick steps forward but then turns slightly to face them.

"Or keeping them in." Darcy points.

Rick looks at her and nods his head. "Or in." He turns to the house. "Let's circle 'round. Maybe we can find a different way in. They had to get in and out for supplies somehow. T-Dog, Darcy, take that way and me 'n Daryl will go this way. Be safe, quiet, and call out if you run into trouble."

T-Dog nods at Darcy and she raises her bow as she lets him take lead. The group, throughout the toughest winter imaginable, has become closer than ever before. It was as if the initial silent way of communicating just between Darcy and Daryl at first has seeped its way into the group – forming the others into a close-knit family even further.

"There." Darcy nods up at the top-most window. There is a ledge easily climbable if the right person does so, and she knows she can reach it with a slight boost. The window seems to be left a mere inch open – she knows she can get inside that way.

"How are we supposed to reach that?" T-Dog sighed. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees her throw her bow over her shoulder and walk to the side of the house. "Oh no, are you serious? You just wait 'till Daryl gets over here –"

"Are you gonna give me a boost or not?" She looks back to her friend with a raised brow and waits.

T-Dog gives her a slight glare and shakes his head, "You're crazy." He steps forward and lets her slip her heel into his palms. With a boost, she's able to reach the patio roof and pull herself up to stand on top.

"Be careful." T calls up to her.

Darcy takes her steps lightly, she is unsure if the roof will hold up with how long it has been uncared for. She looks over to the side of the window. There is another ledge she can reach, followed by a wooden plank that is purposefully for growing vines along the sides of houses like this one. Before she leaps, she hears Rick and Daryl's presence below.

"Where's Darcy?" Rick asks T-Dog, who bobs his head up to her. She tries to not make eye contact and instead places her footing strategically to be able to make it across the way to the ledge. It's going to be quite a jump.

"We don' know what's in there, Rick she could be walkin' into an ambush." Daryl paces and the scowl on his face is more intense than it has been for a while. His eyes do not leave her figure.

Darcy bends her knees and bounces on her feet before she stands still completely and takes a deep breath in. She knows she can make it but there is the slither of chance the roof could not hold her.

"We don't have anywhere else to go. We might as well try!" Rick hisses at the hunter who becomes more impatient as they watch and wait for her to make her move.

When she does, panic arises from below. Darcy jumps across and her palms just make contact with the separate ledge. It creaks, and the nails don't hold. The sudden snap of the wood forces Darcy to pull herself up quicker than anticipated and she rolls onto the ledge and breaths out the adrenaline.

She doesn't wait very much longer to move on. Darcy grabs hold of the holes in the wooden notches of the vines and pulls herself to the window. She slides it open, and leaps over the sill.

It's quiet, and dark. Ghostly, even.

Darcy pulls her flashlight out from her belt followed by a pistol with a makeshift silencer. She holds them up and takes achingly slow steps to take in the darkness and her surroundings for any sudden movements. Something doesn't feel right.

The first bedroom is clear, the one she first entered. As she makes her way to the other rooms upstairs, there is no danger. She begins to let her tenseness ease away and gains more confidence as she walks down the stairs.

Darcy rounds the corner into the living room and stops when she sees a petite female body standing near the couch unaware of her presence. Darcy fires un-phased and walks towards it as it goes down.

She inspects it, patting down the body for any weapons – most walkers they found had them these days – but found nothing on the corpse. She sighs, and believes the house is clear.

Pushing to her feet, Darcy hears a heart-stopping growl. Right behind her, the breath reeking of death and decay is hot on her neck. She turns quickly around but trips on the body underneath her feet. Scrambling backwards, she accurately takes in the numbers of walkers actually held up in this "safe-house." She knows the odds of getting out alive is highly unlikely – she cannot take them all on her own either.

In an instant Darcy turns her head to the right and sees the doorway to the kitchen. It appears empty. She can only make a break for it and hope for the best.

Leaping to her feet she shoots at the closest walker and sprints for the door. The walkers are closing in quickly as she pounds on the boarded up exit way and attempts to rip the wooden planks off their nails. Her vision starts to blur, but she can make out the figures outside of Daryl, Rick, and T-Dog trying to reach her.

Darcy has managed to get two boards off. It was until she hears Daryl's voice screaming at her to get back that her mind has almost accepted death. She stands with her back up against the wall beside the door, watching and waiting as she locks her eyes onto the shaking, bony dead hand lunging towards her -

The door is kicked open, and Rick pulls Darcy outside while Daryl stands in the doorway, firing a few arrows at the monsters inside.

The door is re-closed with the walkers remaining on the other side, and Darcy cannot help but jump into Daryl's arms as soon as he faces her. He holds her into him with one arm for a moment, before he pushes her directly in front of him so he can look her over. They ignore the looks from the other two, as if they weren't even there.

"Ya alright?" He asks, breathing heavily.

Her breathing matches his. She quickly nods, "Yeah." Daryl returns the nod and holds his left hand to the side of her neck. Worry is plastered to his face before Rick breaks the frightening moment between the two.

"Another dead end." He whispers in defeat. Rick faces Darcy and puts a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, you shouldn't have gone in there alone."

Darcy shook her head, "I made the choice. It was a dumb choice, but it was mine nonetheless." She turns away from Daryl and steps to the side.

"It was a close call." T-Dog shakes his head in disapproval of the woman's actions but he is impressed and shows respect for her courage and determination in spite of that.

"I'm alright. That's what matters. And at least we know." She bobs her head towards the house, still hearing the pounding on the walls from the walkers on the inside.

Rick nods, staring in disgust at the rotten faces through the window. "At least we know."


	31. Over Time

"_I marveled at the change of seasons, was amazed by how nature and time came together magically to alter the world every three months; and had been doing so for century, upon century, upon century. Then I realized that my fascination was so immense because it reminded me of how we had also once been; the magical result of nature and time."_

"Seems appropriate." Glenn taps his thumb on the steering wheel, listening to the soft tone of Darcy's voice as she read the mysterious quote found inside the glove box of the Honda.

Maggie sits in the back with T-Dog and Beth, they all are quiet as they ponder on the words. Darcy leans forward and rifles through the loose torn pieces of the notebook papers inside the compartment, finding a leather journal through the mess. "There's a whole bunch of them in here."

"Do you think whoever wrote them did it during all this?" Maggie asks.

Darcy shrugs, "Maybe – makes sense."

"They're stopping." Beth sits up suddenly from her comfortable position leaning against the window. The other four become alert, scanning their surroundings since nowadays they were so used to moving from location to location, everything looked the same.

"Uncle Bob's Storage?" Darcy squints her eyes at the most random site along the road - mixed in with the dense woods and every few houses they managed to stay holed up in – it was definitely a place less traveled just like the other sites they found.

"Might not be a bad idea." T-Dog leans forward, leaning on a large metal pipe he has yet to let go of during the entire drive. "With that locked gate and all those box units - there's a lot of stuff we can scrounge."

"He's right." Glenn pulls the car over to the side next to the others. "We might as well check it out. We're loosing the light."

As the group climbs out of the car, Darcy turns towards her seat and sets her bag down. She grabs the notebook from the dashboard and the few bits of paper she was able to read through and puts it inside. She hears someone approaching her, and she knows very well who it is. Darcy closes her pack and puts it over her shoulders before turning around and facing Daryl.

"What's that?" He asks, curious.

"Just some stuff I found in the car. Notes and poems." She shrugs and holds her bow in her left hand, tossing it in her fingers gently. She's somewhat embarrassed, showing a soft side to Daryl of all people.

"Why're ya keepin' 'em?" He squints, just as she did when she was confused, yet intrigued about the units.

"I don't know." Darcy tells him honestly, "I guess to keep head. Maybe add to them later."

Daryl nods heavily, and decides to quickly change the subject. "Well, you ready to check these out?"

Darcy unenthusiastically throws her hand out and points towards the gate where the others are discussing the plan. The two hunters didn't know why though, it was the same plan everyday, every time.

Darcy and Daryl would take the perimeter while Rick, Glenn, and T-Dog came from behind and through the center. Then, the odd ones out like Lori, Beth, and Hershel would carry supplies through once the location was clear and set up camp.

Fortunately, the perimeter was smaller than imagined. The sweep took no longer than 15 minutes and even more surprisingly, there were no walkers. It was unfamiliar, having minimal threat of danger within the thin steel walls. It somehow made everyone all the more on edge and impatient.

Rick knew that even though they had a small guarantee with the fence, there was the possibility that if a herd came through large enough, the group would be trapped with no where to turn. He just hoped that no one else would figure it out, giving the chance for everyone to stay calm during the night for once.

Darcy looks up from her small bowl of meat that Daryl had managed to bring back earlier that evening. He is on watch in the farther corner of their homemade boarder that is enclosing three consecutive units that are hollowed out, created of the junk found deemed useless that was inside.

She stands, wiping her hands on her black skinny jeans and grabbing another bowl from Carol. "I'm gonna take this to him."

Carol nods, "He won't eat if you don't."

Darcy nods and takes the bowl and walks over to Daryl slowly as to not spook him. He leans on one leg casually holding his crossbow in his arms. Darcy couldn't help but let the woman inside her roam her eyes over his toned arms and shoulders. A sensation shoots through her stomach and she has to cough to redirect her attention while getting his.

"Ah." Daryl raises his eyebrows and reaches out as Darcy hands him the bowl. He uses his fingers to pick at the meat and bring the small bits to his mouth. "Thanks."

Darcy gives a nod and stands, watching him with a small smirk playing at her lips. She diverts her eyes and crosses her arms while staring at the ground. She scuffs her right foot and he watches her as he eats.

"Somethin' wrong?" He asks.

Darcy lets out a small laugh and a wide smile, "Just thinking about that story you told me. The one with the river and you were fishing with your brother."

Daryl nods quickly and matches her expression. "We were little."

"I can just picture it –" Darcy laughs quietly. "You trying to swing the fish over but it's too heavy, and it just knocks Merle into the mud and water."

"I don' think I ever told anybody that story before." He puts a piece of meat into his mouth.

"Why not?" Darcy asks.

Daryl shrugs, "Never got the chance to. People leavin' all the time – just never felt too close to nobody ya know?"

"Kinda." Darcy feels awkward. She knows they have gotten close – especially in these winter months. The group's personalities in general have become hard, callous even. They were no exception.

But in a way, even though the rest of the group all together had become that way, when the two were alone together it was as if everything was right again in the world, and Daryl was where he needed to be. There would be times such as the story Darcy currently thought about that had been shared between themselves of their childhood or of their past.

It was the good stories, funny stores, and they would sit while on watch and try not to laugh too loudly as to wake the others. This closeness has given them a connection that they could not have with the others – and have never felt before for themselves either.

Even though people like Rick or Glenn or Maggie were close friends, people they both could trust with their lives, there were no words to describe Daryl and Darcy's companionship. Because even though the good stories were told, the hidden stories that showed whom they truly were came out now and again too. Darcy had learned about Daryl's past – and throughout their journey and through these things that had been shared between them, Darcy had picked up on cues whether he knew he was giving her or not.

No one else saw this side of him or her, the joyful, and hopeful, content side. In the amount of time they spent together, as mentioned before, they were able to get to know each other like the back of their own hand. Although, there were still times and places where that same safe guard wall was put up, and for the right reasons too. Daryl was still Daryl, and Darcy was still Darcy. But together, they were so much more: unstoppable.

It grew silent between the two. In spite of their relationship, Darcy senses the uneasiness that Daryl has put between them over the past few days. It wasn't distance as they would do before when they had issues or temper tantrums, but there was definitely something on his mind that seemed to be bugging him.

In Darcy's mind, it had never occurred to her that maybe she should ask him if something was wrong. He was normally a closed person if he was dealing with some sort of inner struggle, and Daryl was one to keep to himself and preferred to be alone if and when that happened.

Daryl shifts his weight on his feet and picks at his food. "What're you expectin' out of this?"

Darcy turns her head with her eyebrows scrunched together. "With what?"

Daryl adverts her gaze and clears his throat. She can sense that he feels uncomfortable for even asking. "Me. Us, I guess."

The answer makes her stomach twist. She never thought they'd be having this conversation. Darcy's mind opens all the possibilities of what he could mean, what he is expecting her to say, and how she really feels about the situation at all.

Maggie and Glenn were in a relationship, that much was obvious. But Darcy couldn't help but ask herself if her and Daryl were over and over again. It's not that she didn't want to be with him, especially with how close they already were, and how she has accepted that it was more important to care about people rather than staying callous and essentially just being alone, but could Daryl openly show his feelings for her if it came down to it? To leave his past behind and go with her when it counted?

"I don't understand." Darcy whispered.

"What do you want from me?" He kept his voice low and with the familiar husky voice, but he threw his hands up slightly in aggravation and to avoid further embarrassment for even asking in his mind.

Darcy stutters, lost in thought and for the first time, she doesn't know what to think, but the only words she says are: "I don't – I know I don't want you to go anywhere."

"Wha's that mean?" Daryl shakes his head and squints, not understanding.

Darcy sighs, "I don't know Daryl-" She brings her fingers up to the sides of her face and closes her eyes, "I-I want you to be here with – why are we even having this conversation? We're not Glen and –"

"What we gotta have a label on everythin'?" He shifts his weight again.

"Well, it'd sure be a hell of a whole lot easier to understand on deciding what this is." Darcy motions her hand between her and Daryl.

"I ain't no good for you." He said blatantly, almost cutting her off. "If we weren't here, in this mess, I'd be nothin' for you. I ain't even that now."

"That's not your choice." Darcy snapped back. "Not to mention bullshit."

"Then what do you want out of this?" Daryl asks.

"I want you to stop worrying about things that don't need to be worried about." Darcy took a step forward. "What do you want, Daryl?"

Daryl looks at her, taken aback. He shakes his head and picks at his food once more. "Nobody's ever asked me that before." He avoids her stare again, "I guess I don' know either."

"Maybe you should figure it out – get back to me on that." She nods, and begins to walk back to the rest of the group.

"Ya ain't mad are you?" He calls after her.

She faces him and picks at her fingers, "No." She says, and he nods and blinks shyly at her, trying to keep his cool at such a serious, emotional conversation.

"And I guess to answer your question before, I want you here with us. With me. I'm not comfortable with telling people how I – I just know that I care about you, and it would really hurt if something happened between us or you just weren't here."

Daryl lowers his voice again, and Darcy can sense the weight of something pushing down his shoulders. "I just ain't no good for you."

"Do you want to be?" Darcy asked, softening her voice.

There is a bit of hesitation. Daryl wears his heart on his sleeve, but there has been no solid relationship with anybody in his lifetime and it is hard for him to confront any such feeling of love or care for another person. He looks like a shy boy as his brown eyes go big and he nods his head slowly. He can't look at her, no matter how much he wants to.

"Yes." He answers finally.

"Then that's all that matters, doesn't it?"


End file.
